CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP:
NAIT Ooks 76, VIU Mariners 71
An overtime classic saw the Cinderella NAIT Ooks overcome a ferocious atmosphere in the Vancouver Island Gym to defeat the host Mariners 76-71.
The gym was at full capacity and blue-clad fans remained loud throughout the entire game as many students, families, and locals came to see if the Mariners could find themselves victorious on home court. NAIT fans were joined by Lakeland supporters in cheering on the Edmonton squad.
In the first quarter, the Ooks leaned heavily on shots from beyond the arc, and took a 23-16 lead into the second quarter based largely on going 6-15 from distance. Fifth-year guard Aphia Ward, who hit on 3 of 6 three-point attempts, came off the bench to push NAIT's early lead.
The Mariners began to claw back in the second half as guard Ranika Guyton executed a number of smooth finishes at the hoop. However, the Ooks maintained their lead into the halftime break by shooting at a 43.8% clip, and NAIT led 39-35 at the break.
As with VIU's earlier games in the tournament, the Mariners pushed hard for a comeback in the second half. Forward Shayce Johnston drew a number of fouls with hard drives in the paint and hit on 8 of 9 free throws in the third quarter. NAIT lost some momentum by only hitting on 1 of 8 three point attempts, with each miss sending the home crowd into a frenzy. VIU took a 56-54 lead into the fourth quarter.
What the crowd assumed would be the final frame was a tough, ragged affair with the athletes showing the wear of a top-level three-day tournament. While the players continued to fly up and down the coart—marshalled by VIU's Amber Lease and NAIT's Carly McHard—only 20 points were scored between the two teams as NAIT shot 23.5% and VIU shot 15.8%.
NAIT held a 65-63 lead for nearly the final two and a half minutes of the quarter before a Ranika Guyton layup brought the Mariners even and the crowd—most of who were already standing—fully to their feet. A late VIU layup attempt and a NAIT three-point attempt at the buzzer both missed and the teams were off to overtime, tied at 65.
In overtime, the teams traded early buckets before a Carly McHarg three-pointer gave NAIT a lead it would not reliquish. A Lucy Wilde layup upped the NAIT advantage to 72-69 and the Mariners were forced to foul the Ooks down the stretch. Aliyah Johnson and Lucy Wilde made good on their free throws—sandwiching a late CJ Buckley basket—and the Ooks celebrated a 76-71 win.
Aphia Ward—who scored a game-high 20 points and finished 6 for 14 from three—was named player of the game for NAIT. Shayce Johnston, who earned a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds, was named player of the game for VIU.
For Ooks head coach Todd Warnick, this game brought his CCAA coaching career full circle. He began his collegiate head coaching experience in this same gym by coaching the VIU Mariners (then known as the Malaspina University-College Mariners) men's basketball team, with whom he earned a CCAA bronze medial in 2004-05. He now finishes his CCAA coaching career with a national title in the same gym before taking on the coaching reins with Thompson Rivers University.
DAY 2 RECAP:
NAIT Ooks 84, MSVU Mystics 72
The first gold bracket semifinal game, and the third game of Saturday saw the NAIT Ooks and MSVU Mystics go head to head in a match that would determine who would be playing for gold on Sunday night. The match was high speed, and full of skill, emotion and toughness from its combatants.
The first quarter was a showcase of excellent team basketball from both sides. The Ooks took an early lead, but the Mystics quickly caught up with a burst of momentum that stemmed from forward Tahlia Jones' perfectly timed steal and subsequent fastbreak points. The second quarter saw the pace speed up, with the transitional game from both sides being integral. The latter half of the quarter saw a few well executed three point shots, as well as MSVU forward Alisha McNeil impressively hitting a 3, stealing an inbound pass and executing a layup consecutively. Ooks guard Aliyah Johnson also put together a bit of a run herself, hitting 2 layups consecutively, getting a coast to coast basket and collecting an and 1 in the second half of the quarter.
The third quarter saw plenty of firepower and high speed action. If an audience member were to look away for a second, they would have missed a potentially game changing play. In the fourth quarter, free throw shooting was paramount, as the high levels of tension and emotion led to impactful foul calls down the stretch, which led to a high stakes bonus situation. Ultimately, the Ooks were able to show up in the fourth and keep their lead.
The players wearing number 8 on each team got to represent as players of the game. Ooks guard Aliyah Johnson was stellar, putting up 28 points on a staggering 12 for 17 shooting, to go alongside 6 boards and 5 assists to lead her team. A solid performance from Mystics player of the game, wing Katherine Khorovets kept them in the game late, as she put up 17 points off the bench shooting 6 for 12. The Ooks will play tomorrow evening in the gold medal game, while the Mystics will try to make Sunday's bronze game.
DAY 1 RECAP:
NAIT Ooks 67, Champlain Cavaliers 55
The 2022 CCAA Women's Basketball National Championship opened with an upset as the ACAC wildcard NAIT Ooks used a speed game to take down the RSEQ champion Champlain Saint-Lambert Cavaliers.
Offensively, both teams started slowly, as the game saw its first basket three minutes into the first quarter. From there, the teams went toe-to-toe, and the Cavaliers–who played without their All-Canadian Sauda Ntaconayigize–took a 1-point lead into the half, buoyed by Candice Lienafa's 11 points.
In the third quarter, the Ooks took a giant step forward, outscoring the Cavaliers 19-10 and holding the Quebec squad to 3-for-22 shooting. Hallie Watt was a force in the quarter, contributing six points and grabbing five defensive rebounds.
Champlain's Caitlin Frost – who was in foul trouble early in the game – had a solid fourth quarter with 10 points but the Cavaliers' comeback attempt fell short as NAIT hit on 3-of-7 three pointers down the stretch to keep momentum and the score in their favour.
Hallie Watt (20 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks) was named Player of the Game for the Ooks. Candice Lienafa (11 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks) earned the Player of the Game nod for the Cavaliers.
NAIT moves on to a semifinal matchup with the ACAA champion MSVU Mystics. The Cavaliers will face the PACWEST champions, Okanagan College.
The NAIT Ooks women's basketball team is taking center stage this week at the CCAA Women's Basketball Nationals in Nanaimo, BC, beginning on March 25th. After finishing second place in the ACAC, the team punched their ticket to the national event by earning the wild card spot. The Ooks will face the Ch. Saint-Lambert Cavaliers in the first quarterfinal game of the tournament. The Ooks' first game tipoff will be Friday at 1:00 pm (PST).