Rattlers Sweep Queens
Red Deer was back in the Snake Pit for their second game in as many days against the first place Rattlers. The Queens needed to improve on their scoring from the night previous to have a chance of stealing a game from Medicine Hat. The Game opened with Medicine Hat controlling the tip and missing on their first trip down the floor. After a miss by Red Deer, the Rattlers turned the ball over. This gave the Queens the opportunity to score the first points of the game. They followed this up with a quick 3 pointer to jump out to a 5-0 lead. After a few misses on both sides the Queens struck again making their early lead 7. With Red Deer earning a trip to the line they again pushed their lead to 9. Red Deer was pushing Medicine Hat to the limit starting on an 11-0 run. The Rattlers finally broke through on a good drive and layup from Rhiannon Ware. Medicine Hat used this momentum and started to score. A 3 from Kianna Mintz and a 3 point play from Kendell Kuntz saw the rattlers reduce the deficit. Another 3 from Mintz and the Rattlers found themselves just 2 points down. With another trip the line, the Queens added another point to their cushion. This was quickly erased and Medicine Hat took their first lead on a Jordyn Kearley drive. Kate Rozdeba stole a pass at half and went on a clear break to give the home side a 3 point lead. As the quarter ticked down the Red Deer squad earned a trip to the line with 9 seconds left on the clock. After hitting one of two the Rattlers grabbed the Defensive rebound and Morgan Muir went coast to coast at the buzzer to take a 21-15 lead.
Red Deer earned a trip to the line within the first 10 seconds of the quarter. Making one of two they continued to not make the most of their trips to the charity stripe. Medicine Hat continued to press and make baskets early and extended their lead to 10 quickly. With the Queens starting to make mistakes, the Rattlers jumped on the opportunity and again added to their lead. Red Deer scored their first basket 4 minutes after their first point of the quarter. This sparked the visitors as they scored the next 5 points. This narrowed the Rattler lead and pushed the visitors back within striking distance. Medicine Hat took exception and Kendell Kuntz hit back to back 3's to reestablish the lead. As time ticked down in the quarter the Home side had again extended their lead 39-25 at the break.
As the second half started the teams picked right up where they left off. Red Deer was creating chances but were unable to finish. Medicine Hat on the other had were continuing to show why they are the Highest scoring team in the south. Capitalizing on their first few trips down the court they pushed the lead further. As the first 3 minutes passed the Rattlers lead by 19. Red Deer putting up 0 in the first part of the frame. As the clock passed the midway point the Queens were still held off the score board. The Rattlers continued to score as they led 48-25. Red Deer scored their first points of the quarter off a mid-range jumper. Even with this burst of momentum the Queens still could not contain the Rattlers offensive attack. Medicine Hat continued to pull away despite Red Deer's best efforts. The Home team continued to lead 62-34 at the end of the third.
As the 4th quarter got underway Red Deer found their groove early. They came right down and scored on their first possession. After this fast basket, teams settled in to their usual roles. Medicine Hat continued to dictate the game with pace and physicality. The Queens started to counter and hit back to back 3 pointers. This caused the Rattlers bench to take a timeout to regain control of the game. This seemed to calm down the Home side as they were able to pull themselves out of a scoreless rut. As the clock wound down the result was in no doubt, only the end score remained to be determined. As the clock ran out the Rattlers had Won 75-50 cementing their place in the standings
ACAC Players of the Game:
Red Deer Queens: Samantha Wade
Medicine Hat College Rattlers: Kendell Kuntz