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Capers headed back to nationals

CBU rallies in final quarter to defeat Saint Mary's Huskies

Kari Everett

The Cape Breton Post
By Greg MacVicar
Cape Breton Post
SYDNEY — Heart and veteran composure.

A simple but proven recipe gave the Cape Breton University Capers women's basketball team their second-straight Atlantic University Sport championship banner with a 69-60 victory over the Saint Mary's Huskies at the Sullivan Field House, Sunday afternoon.

"It's an honour to be able to play here," said Capers fourth-year guard Kari Everett, who paced her team to the win with 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and subsequently picked up tournament MVP honours.

"Our fans here in the community are always great to us. We work hard for them all year and they're supporting us through ups and downs. And it's nice to bring home a banner in front of them."

Everett called the tournament MVP nod a "big deal" but added the personal honour is eclipsed by the banner.

"A second banner and a chance to go back to nationals," the native of Stilesville, N.B., said, referring to the 2010 Canadian Interuniversity Sport Women's Basketball Championship at McMaster University in Hamilton, March 12-14. "That's the most important part."

Sunday's AUS final saw the Capers hold the advantage until SMU guard and AUS rookie of the year Justine Colley hit a three-point shot to knot things up 50-50 with 1:23 remaining in the third quarter, the only quarter the Huskies outscored the Capers, 15-8.

But the CBU women pulled away again early in the fourth quarter as Everett hit the basket twice to put the Capers up 54-50 and the home team never again relinquished the lead in front of an orange-clad, cheering, capacity crowd.

The Capers were leading by just five points, 63-58, with just under one minute remaining, when AUS MVP Kelsey Hodgson hit a big three-point shot for a 66-58 CBU advantage.

The remainder of the game's points were scored on foul shots.

Hodgson, in her final AUS game, followed Everett with 21 points, while fellow graduating player Karmen Brown chipped in 11 points. Brown received a standing ovation when she fouled out with 3:12 remaining in the game.

The rookie Colley held the hot hand for the Huskies with a game-high 24 points, followed by fifth-year and graduating guard Kelsey Daley scoring 16 points, while fifth-year forward Laure Pitfield potted 11 points.

"It was just a phenomenal game based on heart for me," said Capers head coach Fabian McKenzie. "That's what did it. And composure down the stretch helped. Karmen Brown and Kari Everett really stepped up big for us in the second half. And we made some big stops. Nikki Works was unbelievable defensively. It was awesome."

Brown, Hodgson, Everett, Colley and Daley were named to the championship all-star team.

In semifinal play Saturday, Hodgson led her Capers with 28 points in a 61-56 win over the Dalhousie Tigers and Colley followed that up with a 38-point performance for the Huskies in their 77-56 triumph over the No. 2 seed Memorial Sea-Hawks.

gmacvicar@cbpost.com