One year later, loss still stings
KODIAKS SEEK REDEMPTION AS ACAC TOURNEY BEGINS TONIGHT
It’s not just about the number of games the Lethbridge College Kodiaks women’s basketball team has won. As they get ready to host the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference playoffs starting tonight, the Kodiaks are also mindful of the one game they lost last season.
Fresh off wrapping up their second consecutive 21-0 regular season, the Kodiaks kick off their provincial run at the Val Matteotti Gymnasium at 8 p.m. tonight when they face the Lakeland College Rustlers.
They do so looking to build on last year’s ACAC bronze medal, a result the Kodiaks had to settle for following a loss to the NAIT Ooks in the semifinal in last year’s provincials in Lloydminster.
The Kodiaks go for gold starting tonight, but head coach Brad Karren said his team is mindful of what happened last year.
“It’s something that’s still kind of fresh in their minds because that’s what we remind them. We’re lucky enough that we haven’t been defeated yet this year. But I remind them (that) we haven’t been beaten, but we got beat last year in the playoffs in one game and remember how that feels. We don’t want to feel that again.”
Fifth-year Kodiak Emma Lowry is one of many players back from last year’s team that fell short of a provincial gold medal and berth at nationals.
“Most of us were here last year and I think it is something we keep in the back of our minds,” said Lowry. “We were that close and we let it slip through our fingers. Just (knowing) that, I think we’ve grown together.”
Lethbridge caps off the first day’s action tonight when they take on the 12-12 Rustlers, who finished fourth in the ACAC North.
“They’re a little short-numbered,” said Karren. “They only have eight players, but that could be an advantage because you only rotate eight players and it makes the subbing situation a little bit easier. But they’re good. They’re athletic and they’ve got some size.”
After wrapping up an undefeated regular season, it was back to practice over the past three days as the Kodiaks go for gold on home soil.
“It’s a little different, you’re used to being on the road for playoffs, but hosting it at home, I can tell they’re a bit happier,” said Karren. “They’re not on the road. They’re at home and they’re more comfortable. We’ve played here every night for two hours for three or four months. So this is where they’re comfortable and that’s why we have a bit of an advantage. We should be able to shoot better and everything works better. But now it’s serious and I can tell with the last few practices their attitude has changed a little bit. They’re a bit more serious and more focused.”
Make no mistake about it, home court advantage exists.
“We have lots of fans that will come and we feed off the energy,” said Lowry. “We’re comfortable here. Hopefully we’ll get our shots to drop and keep in mind we’re at home and we haven’t lost at home in a long time.”
Following their final regular season game against the Briercrest Clippers last weekend, the Kodiaks honoured Lowry — who graduated from the program at the end of this season — in a post-game ceremony.
Lethbridge College Kodiaks dominated the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference awards which were presented at the ACAC Women’s Basketball Championship Banquet Wednesday.
Logan Moncks of the Kodiaks was named the 2016-17 ACAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year while Brad Karren was named South Division Women’s Coach of the Year.
Moncks finished in second place in ACAC scoring, averaging 22.5 points per game, second in field goal percentage at 54.8 per cent, ninth in steals with 2.8 per game and first in free throw percentage at 91.1 per cent.
Moncks is a third-year ACAC student athlete from Cardston. She is enrolled in the Business Management program at Lethbridge College and transferred from SAIT in 2015-16 to compete for the Kodiaks.
“It’s hard to explain what kind of player she is,” said Karren. “I’ve been lucky enough to coach her sisters (Katherine, Elizabeth and Rebecca) and they’re just hard-working players. They’re the kind of girls that don’t show up in the stats a lot. They do, but it’s the little things they do like the hard work and just the toughness they have. They just bring that to every practice and every game. You can’t replace an Emma Lowry. You just can’t do it. She’s just that kind of a player and a student.”
And what a better way to go out than with a gold medal?
“It’s pretty special,” said Lowry. “I’ve been to Nationals before and I think if we win this that’ll be a great way to end the season. If we do make it to Nationals I think we have a good chance to take the whole thing and I think that would be an awesome way to end a five-year career.”
Action starts this afternoon at 1 p.m. when the St. Mary’s Lightning takes on the Keyano College Huskies and continues at 3 p.m. as the NAIT Ooks take on the Medicine Hat Rustlers.
The Concordia University Thunder plays the SAIT Trojas at 6 p.m. before the Kodiaks and Rustlers take the floor at 8 p.m.
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