The St. Thomas University Tommies women’s basketball team opened up the ‘5th Annual Ken Gould Invitational Tournament with a loss against Mount Saint Vincent University Mystics at Lady Beaverbrook Gym last Friday.
Head coach Fred Connors felt the team did a good job but because STU is a young team and MSVU is veteran they lost 56-73.
“The biggest problem is passing, it’s going to come with experience, but they did a good job on defence,” said Connors.
About 75 spectators attended the game along with STU and Grenfell College men’s basketball teams who played after the woman’s game.
Tommies guard, Naomi Larmer started the game at tip off against MSVC’s point guard Brianna Buis which eventually landed in the hands of Mystic’s Larissa Patterson whose shot on net bounced off the rim.
The ball was later retrieved by Mystic’s Danielle Young who shot the first ball on net for her team and scored two points.
Tommies forward Jessica Patenaude scored the first two points for her team with a solid basket and was returned by Mystic’s Pattison with a three pointer.
Jayme Hunt of the Tommies scored her team’s first three pointer and shortly after Patenaude sunk the second.
STU temporarily deterred the Mystics with some defensive passing but the ball was eventually intercepted by Buis who lost the ball out of bounds to STU.
The ball was passed inbounds to Tommies guard Laura Fowler who sunk an easy three pointer.
The Mystics started a strong passing game but was continuously deterred by the Tommies defense.
With 5:43 left in the first, Buis was slammed hard to the floor by Tommies Nikki Leblanc, not resulting in a penalty.
Tommies forward Kate Carver intercepted a pass from the Mystics, she passed it to Katie Corlett who passed it to Larmer making the Mystics scramble defensively. Larmer then passed it to Lainy Dow who sank a three pointer.
Corlett later sunk two three-pointers back-to-back enticing the crowd to cheer and Coach Connors to clap and yell out further instructions.
After Danielle Young missed two foul shots, Tommies Sara Banks intercepted the ball and ran the whole court into Mystics net area as Connors shouted, “Move up, move up!”
Larmer hit the floor hard but Hunt was able to answer her fallen comrade by sinking two points bringing the score 26-18 for STU, and ending the first quarter.
Ten seconds into the second the Tommies threw the ball in from out-of-bounds but ended up in the possession of Mystics post Kara Hayes who sunk two baskets back-to-back.
STU received a personal foul, but the Mystics missed their two free throws giving Patenaude the opportunity to score two points.
With six minutes left in the second, Marissa Penney of the Mystics landed a solid three-pointer almost tying the score 30-29 for STU.
A three player scramble ensued in the Mystics’ end for the ball but ended with Mystics guard Emma Reardon who sank a two pointer.
The second period ended with the Mystics on top at 32-38.
During the third, Kate Carver of STU and Danielle Young of MSVU each had two hands on the ball and struggled to own possession in Tommes net zone. After both landing on the floor and losing the ball, Carver recovered and scored a basket.
The game continued aggressively as Tommies Kennedy Baird was rocked hard by a Mystic which caused the referee to blow the whistle and the ball thrown in-bounds from the side-line.
Carver scored two points for the Tommies bringing the score to 39 and a long period of Mystic domination.
With 4:38 left in the third, Mystics Emma Reardon scored a basket, then a Mystic scored two three-pointers back-to-back. Tommies made a personal foul giving the Mystics two free throws. They completed one of the two, bringing the score 39-50.
With two minutes left in the third Banks lobbed a solid three-pointer brining the score 42-55.
At three seconds left the Mystics scored a final basket ending the quarter at 42-63.
The Mystics Danielle Young started the fourth and final quarter with a two pointer.
Pattison was penalized for dribbling which gave Larmer the opportunity to run the ball three quarters of the way down the court for a basket.
Tommies guard Kimber Miller busted out some fancy foot-work and ball-handling as she circled around a Mystic player, confusing her until Miller had a solid pass to a teammate close to net.
Kate Gallant of the Mystics slammed hard into Carver giving her two freethrows which were both sunk with ease.
At 2:30 left in the game, two Tommies and a Mystic went down hard in a collision sending the ball soaring to the Mystics bench.
With 42 seconds left, Sarah Fanjoy scored the Tommies final points. The final basket of the game went to Madison Doucet at four seconds left, ending the game 56-73 for MSVU.
