VANCOUVER — The Alberta Pandas’ 64-38 blowout in the U Sports Final 8 consolation final over the Laval Rouge et Or meant a whole lot more than a country-wide fifth-place finish for veteran forward Claire Signatovich.
Signatovich wiped tears from her eyes as she stepped off the court at Vancouver’s War Memorial Gym following her last game as a Panda on March 15.
“I love my team so much. It’s a lovely program to be part of, and I am just so happy,” she said. “We’re playing for fifth, but we just wanted to play another game together.”
Alberta coach Scott Edwards said the tight-knit veteran group had to reconsider what they wanted from the tournament after losing to the top-seeded Saskatchewan Huskies in the quarterfinals.
“They all said we want to play as long as we can and play as hard as we can for each other and just really appreciate this season,” Edwards said.
To earn one last dance for their veterans, the Pandas eked out a tight 68-61 win over the Saint Mary’s Huskies in the consolation semifinal to lock in a final matchup against Laval.
In the first half of the consolation final, the Pandas were led by Signatovich and guard Annacy Palmer, who scored eight points apiece. The Pandas’ suffocating defence also contributed to their dominant lead, holding Laval to just 17 points while Alberta racked up 31.
A three-time Canada West defensive player of the year, Signatovich continuously forced giveaways, butterfingers and missed layups from the Rouge et Or.
In the second half, Alberta’s offence finally took off as Laval struggled to get anything meaningful to the basket. The Pandas outscored Laval 33-21 in the game’s latter half.
“I think our team just came out really relaxed in the second half and they felt confident about how they were playing defensively,” Edwards said.
By the final buzzer, Signatovich potted 16 points and snagged 15 rebounds to earn player of the game honours in her last dance.
“It’s fun to watch on a nightly basis and we’re certainly going to miss her,” Edwards said. “But she’s left us such a great legacy of leadership and character as one of the older players on the team this year.”
Signatovich, who just played her last of six years in an Alberta uniform, revealed what it means to play for the Pandas.
“”Our motto is; ‘Ohana,’ like ‘family’ from Lilo and Stitch, and I think our team just perfectly embodies what that means,” Signatovich said. “Everybody cares for each other, looks out for one another and just loves each other.”
Featured photo by Janson Duench / The Charlatan.
