You can’t teach height
When starting Lakeland College Rustlers' centre Brianne Hergott (4th year, Humboldt, Saskatchewan), listed at 6-foot-1, needed to come out for a break, she was replaced by 6-foot-4 BilgeTopaloglu (2nd year, Istanbul, Turkey).
At 5-foot-10, Keyano Huskies' Moiyan Toure (3rd year, Edmonton Alberta) is the leading rebounder in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference, windexing the boards for a 12.2 rebound per game average.
Tonight she was saddled with three early fouls, having to sit out part of the first half against the Rustlers at Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre's Canadian National Resources Ltd. Gymnasium earlier tonight.
Add to the fact, that Huskies leading scorer 5-foot-8 forward Augusta Kievisaite (18.7 ppg) was held to two points on one-for-10 shooting in the opening 20 minutes, and it is a surprise that the host team was only down five points at the half 21-16.
Kievisaite would pick up her fourth foul with three minutes to go in the third, her team down 36-24, thus joining Toure (who also averages 18 ppg) also on the bench.
Down but not out, Huskies managed three consecutive three point shots in 1:21 to bring them within eight 38-30.
But it was height, the extra height, that would give Lakeland a 44-30 three quarter lead.
Kievisaite and Toure would return together to the hardwood with 8:08 in regulation, down 46-30.
Lakeland would go on to a 47-37 decision while only scoring three points in the final quarter compared to the Huskies' seven.
Toure and Kievisaite would play 20 minutes of the contest.
Only a combined 10 points in 20 minutes for both teams.
Topaloglu was Lakeland Player of the Game with 13 points, nine rebounds and a block while misdirecting several Huskies attempts. Ally Pilgrim added 12 points and eight rebounds.
Georgia Sherstan (2nd year, Spruce Grove, Alberta) was Huskies Player of the Game with eight points and three rebounds.
Photos courtesy Sportsgate Fort McMurray