Kodiak women top Queens
A big third quarter helped get the Lethbridge College Kodiaks women’s basketball team off to a winning start in 2018 and pulled the team to .500 as well.
The Kodiaks downed the Red Deer Queens 69-45 in Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference play Friday night at the Val Matteotti Gymnasium.
Leading 27-26 at the half, the Kodiaks outscored the Queens 23-8 in the third quarter on their way to the win that improves them to 4-4 and moves them into a tie for fourth with the Olds Broncos, who lost 96-70 to the Medicine Hat Rattlers Friday night.
The St. Mary’s Lightning moved into sole possession of third Friday night, handing the SAIT Trojans their first loss of the season with a 76-65 decision.
Amy Arbon led Lethbridge with a 12-point outing, while leading scorer Courtney Kwasney and Shayna Mathison put up 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Coming in off the bench, Matlin McMurray added nine points, all coming from beyond the arc as she went 3-for-6 from the threepoint line.
Arbon and Kwasney each had eight rebounds, while Arbon and Madi Gladstone each had four assists.
On the men’s side, the Kodiaks battled the Kings to one point to start the fourth quarter before the visitors capitalized on a pair of turnovers to pad their lead en route to a 96-88 win as both teams sit at 4-4.
“We turned the ball over twice straight and we were down six within two possessions,” said Kodiaks head coach Ryan Heggie. “They get feeling comfortable and confident again, they’re not your average 3-4 team. As the teams get set to wrap up the weekend series this afternoon, a stronger defensive effort across the board will be needed. “We can’t give up 96 points and win, not going to happen, unless we score 97,” said Heggie. “We need to come out with more defensive energy to start the game and carry that through all four quarters. I thought we might have gotten a little too individual, too many guys wanting to do it on their own rather than do what worked for us in the second and third (quarters). We recognized that after the game.” Grady Taylor marked his return to the lineup with 26 points and Colten Murray had 15. “We got 41 points out of two guys we picked up at Christmas,” said Heggie. “It shows what they’re going to bring. We need some more out of our guys (Cory) Richardson and (Michael) Clemons tomorrow. They’re our veteran guys, they’ll be ready.” Clemons added 10 points for Lethbridge. The women’s game goes at 1 p.m. with the men to follow at 3 p.m. at the Val Matteotti Gymnasium.