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After a season of RSEQ dominance, the McGill Martlets were hopeful and confident about their chances at the CIS women’s basketball championship in Calgary, even though they faced UBC, Canada’s second-ranked team. Unfortunately, the ThunderBirds, led by their top-ranked defence in the country, defeated McGill 65-43 in their opening quarter-final matchup. 

The Martlets had a difficult time attacking UBC’s defence throughout, and shot an abysmal 18 per cent (11-60) from the field. The T-Birds were in control just a few minutes into the game, forcing McGill into tough and contested shots, while attacking the rim on the offensive end. By the end of the quarter, they had built a nine-point lead after converting on a pair of three-pointers. 

One of McGill’s strengths in the RSEQ was their rebounding. UBC had a strong front line and tall starting lineup, which translated into a huge rebounding advantage (59-39) for the T-Birds. Moreover, the Martlets’ most effective rebounder, Anneth Him-Lazarenko, was nagged by back pains, and was limited to just 19 minutes of action. 

McGill continued to struggle on the offensive end, as they were forced to take perimeter shots, and were ineffective in the paint. On the other hand, UBC dominated inside, outscoring McGill 14-0 in the paint in the second quarter, and the combination of UBC’s Zara Huntley and Leigh Stansfield put pressure on the Martlets on the defensive end. 

The injury afflicting Him-Lazarenko was the key in the game, as the Martlets had continuously employed their offence during the year from an inside-out approach-they would establish Him-Lazarenko inside, which freed up open shots for their talented perimeter players. This strategy was denied by the T-Birds, and they led by 14 at halftime. 

The second half was no different for McGill, as UBC continued to dominate the glass, translating into 11 second-chance points in the third quarter. McGill managed just six points in the frame, while Huntley added to her game-high 18 points. By the three-minute mark of the quarter, UBC had amassed a 20-point lead, which didn’t dwindle for the rest of the game. 

McGill played their best in the fourth quarter, as they were more aggressive on the offensive end and hit a couple of outside shots, outscoring UBC 16-15. Neverthless, the Martlets never challenged the T-Birds’ large lead, as it was too great to overcome. 

Point-guard Dianna Ros, who was awarded for her outstanding season with all-CIS rookie honours on Friday night at the CIS women’s basketball awards, led McGill with a team-high eight points. 

McGill was relegated to a consolation matchup against the Saskatchewan Huskies, in which they played a much better game, but lost 58-53. They led throughout the first half, building a lead as large as 12 points. The Huskies cut down the lead to seven by the half, as McGill got cold from the outside. 

The Martlets held their lead in the third, thanks to some costly turnovers by Saskatchewan, which amounted to four McGill buckets. Part of McGill’s success was due to their ability to establish Him-Lazarenko inside, who finished with 14 points in the game, and had a much stronger performance compared to the quarter-final against UBC.  

However, the Martlets were outplayed in the final quarter and lost their lead with just under two minutes to play due to some poor execution on the offensive end. The Huskies carried their momentum with them in the final minute, and converted some key free throws to ice the game. 

While the Martlets must be disappointed with how the championships turned out, they should be happy with their overall success this season. They claimed their first RSEQ championship since 1996, and showed major improvements from the beginning of the year. The team will lose two of their best players to graduation this year, Natalie Larocque and Him-Lazarenko, but the lineup still contains many bright young players who will look to build on the strong foundation developed this season.