SYDNEY — Day two of the 2023 U Sports Final 8 Championship saw an improved Acadia Axewomen team triumph over the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins, while host team Cape Breton University (CBU) Capers suffered a blowout defeat to the University of Calgary Dinos.
UQAM Citadins vs Acadia Axewomen || 56-74
The Axewomen frustrated the Citadins as guard Haley McDonald’s 26 points and 10 assists lit up the evening on Friday.
While a single point separated the game at the end of the first frame, the Citadins couldn’t keep up with the Axewomen for the remaining quarters. At halftime, the score was 37-30 for Acadia, but the momentum that carried over into the third quarter was fatal for UQAM.
END OF Q3: UQAM Citadins 45- Acadia Axewomen 59
Surely the Axewomen won't repeat yesterday and blow this lead. They've played too well tonight to let their lead slip away, pic.twitter.com/ATSlIIMfrr
— Jayden R. Dill (@JaydenDill) March 10, 2023
The Axewomen led by 13 points at the end of the third, scoring 22 and holding the Citadins to 15.
Despite the loss, the Citadins can walk away with a lot to be proud of. Guard Paule-Beline Ibata-Pondza showcased promising moments, continuously attacking the basket in the 37 minutes she played—more than any other player in the game.
Paule-Beline Ibata-Pondza has been a bright spot for the Citadins tonight. Look at the way she attacks the net—sacrificing her body, taking contact, hitting the ground hard—just to try and get her team back into the contest. pic.twitter.com/hi9CnjfKnk
— Jayden R. Dill (@JaydenDill) March 10, 2023
Forward Fredlaine Verrier led the Citadins with 16 points and 11 rebounds. She was awarded game MVP for the Citadins. Her twin sister, Fredlyne, also dropped 13 points.
As the two forwards caused problems for the Axewomen in the paint, similar to how the Queen’s Gaels struggled on Thursday, the team’s efficiency will be something they’ll look to work on.
UQAM made 21 of 62 field goals and went three of 12 from beyond the arc, compared to the Axewomen’s 24 of 58 and 8 of 19 from the same respective distances.
The Axewomen will take their win into the consolation finals, and the defeat wraps up the tournament for the Citadins.
Calgary Dinos vs Cape Breton Capers || 87-61
The fifth seed against the eighth, the midwest visitors against the Atlantic hosts, the Dinos against the Capers. Call it what you want, but Calgary against Cape Breton was a match with all the excitement of a nail-biting championship final, despite CBU losing by 26 points.
From the get-go, an early scuffle between Kiyara Letlow and Pollyanna Storie set the mood for the night. While nothing would come of the first-quarter incident, Mackenzie Trpcic picked up a technical foul with four minutes remaining in the third.
While it’s unclear what the technical foul was for, it came after a collision under the net led to pushing and shoving between Trpcic and Capers guard Chermensa Van la par.
However, that didn’t waver the guard at all. As Trpcic returned to her bench, the crowd began to heckle her. In response, she began to taunt the crowd and her bench joined subtly.
Just as Trpcic was unaffected by the technical foul, so was the crowd by the scoreline. Right up until the final buzzer, Sullivan House was filled with cheers from the CBU fans.
The matchup of these two fast-paced teams created a lot of scoring opportunities for several players. Letlow had 21 points and 12 rebounds in 40 minutes, Van la par had 17 in the same time and rookie Darah Fleurgin grabbed eight rebounds and three steals in 20 minutes.
While it is the Capers’ last game of the tournament, it doesn’t take away the celebratory honours the crowd gave graduating guard Mackenzee Ryan. As Ryan scored 15 points to cap off her final game with the Capers, she walked over to the supporter section and gave them her final goodbye.
But that wasn’t enough for the CBU fans.
As Ryan began to tear up, the fans pulled her in, threw her up in the air and showered her with water—a classic Atlantic send-off.
Featured image by Jayden R. Dill.
