One of the most successful seasons in the history of the UNBC women's basketball program came to an end on Saturday with a loss to the No. 1-ranked team in the country.
At the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association national championship tournament in Lethbridge, the UNBC Northern Timberwolves fell 73-57 to the Grant MacEwan University Griffins of Edmonton. The teams were playing for the right to advance to the bronze-medal game, and, while the third-seeded Timberwolves battled from start to finish, they couldn't overcome their powerful opponent.
"I really thought everyone just went out there and played their hearts out," said All-Canadian forward Jennifer Clyne, who was appearing in the last game of her career. "It didn't come together for us like it did against VIU [in the provincial final, a 62-53 victory] but, on any given day, I think we could have come out on top against that team."
The Griffins entered nationals undefeated all season but were upset 67-61 by the fourth-ranked Sainte-Foy Dynamiques in a Friday semifinal.
After a fairly even first quarter on Saturday, Grant MacEwan controlled the second and outscored a tentative UNBC team 20-10. The Griffins led 41-27 at halftime but the T-wolves picked up their aggressiveness in the third and produced an early 11-2 scoring run. UNBC was back into a five-point deficit, down 43-38. But, the Griffins answered back with a couple of huge three-pointers by rookie guard Jessilyn Fairbanks and also hit six of eight free throws before the end of the quarter to re-establish their lead. Heading into the fourth quarter, they were ahead 57-42.
In the fourth, UNBC clawed into a 10-point deficit a couple times but couldn't close the gap any further.
"As bad as that second quarter was, the fact that we came back [in the third] and continued to battle in the fourth, that shows a lot of character," said head coach Loralyn Murdoch. "I'm definitely proud of the girls."
Late in the third quarter, UNBC guard Mercedes Van Koughnett was cut near one of her eyes and was forced to the sidelines. She was back early in the fourth and sparked her team by draining a couple of outside shots, including a three-ball.
"That's why Mercedes is an excellent player," Murdoch said. "She's extremely smart and talented and leads the team. They follow her example for sure."
Sarah Robin, an emerging star at forward, was named UNBC's player of the game and veteran Kady Dandeneau was later chosen as a second-team tournament all-star.
The B.C. champion Timberwolves finished the eight-team tournament in fifth place, with a 1-2 record. They lost their opener 74-62 to the Algonquin College Thunder of Nepean, Ont., and then defeated the Lethbridge College Kodiaks 74-67.
Robin said getting a taste of nationals was good for the UNBC program, which is moving up to the Canada West conference of Canadian Interuniversity Sport next season.
"We have a lot of girls that are coming back that have experience now so it definitely helps," she said. "It's going to be exciting. It's going to be a new chapter."
In Saturday's gold-medal game, the Dynamiques were unstoppable in an 86-56 win against the second-ranked Dawson College Blues of Montreal. The national title was the fourth in the past five years for Sainte-Foy.
The fifth-seeded St. Thomas University Tommies of Fredericton defeated the Griffins 73-56 for bronze.
