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Women’s basketball team sweeps top ranked Wesmen
by Chris Jaster
the Carillon
The University of Regina women’s basketball team knocked off the visiting University of Winnipeg Wesmen, who were ranked as the best team in the nation.
The two teams walked into their weekend battle tied for top spot in the Great Plains division and the Canada West conference with 4-0 records. The wins leave the Cougars as the only undefeated team in Canada West with a 6-0 record, while the Wesmen drop to 4-2 for the season.
The Cougars opened the weekend with a 75-57 victory on Friday, and they completed the sweep with a 75-53 win on Saturday.
“These wins are huge and we couldn’t be happier,” says Cougars head coach Jeff Speedy. “Anytime you beat the number one team on back-to-back nights, you have to be happy, and they were pretty convincing wins.”
Despite winning both games in convincing fashion, the Cougars got off to a slow start in the first game as they did not score during the first three minutes of play.
The Cougars started to get going when they went to their bench. Phoebe DeCiman, who was in the hospital earlier this week with possible heart problems, came in and scored six points in the few early minutes she saw, and left the game with 10 points in 18 minutes of action.
“It was nice to get a shot in the arm from girls coming off the bench, and we needed that,” claims Speedy. “We’re a pretty deep team and those guys come off the bench and do good things. Phoebe gave us a real shot in the arm, and a few others did too.”
“I think our team is so deep that you can’t stop anybody,” says DeCiman. “Our bench is so deep that we could start any of the three people that came off the bench.”
Although the Cougar bench and fifth-year point guard Cymone Bouchard, who had 25 points in the opener, dominated the game for Regina, Winnipeg’s JoAnne Wells was the real story, putting up 26 of the Wesmen’s 57 points. However, Wells went down injured five minutes into the second half, only to return.
Wells did not play the next day as she had a second degree sprain in her ankle, and the Wesmen obviously missed her on the court.
“When you take your all-Canadian out of the lineup, you hope the team will rise to the occasion,” says Wesmen head coach Tanya McKay.
“Her average is probably around 20 to 22 points per game,” says Bouchard. “She’s always good for 20 points. I think they definitely missed her.”
Speedy agrees, “Wells is one of the top two or three players in the country. No doubt that played a factor in us getting the win.”
However, fourth-year Cougar guard Jana Schweitzer does not believe Wells was that much of a factor, “I think Uzoma Asagwara stepped up and did what Wells would have done. JoAnne being there would have made it better for them, but I don’t know if it would have made that much of a difference.”
However, Asagwara, who had 15 points in the rematch, did not play the entire second game as she went down injured with 6:23 remaining in the game, with double vision and a headache.
The scoring for the Cougars was spread out on the Saturday with three players putting up more than 10 points and nine players with baskets.
“Everybody contributed,” explains Bouchard. “Everybody was looking for the open player and giving different looks and making their shots.”
Despite the wins, Schweitzer still looks at the big picture, “We have a long way to go, but holding the number one team to under 60 points is quite an accomplishment.”
Jana Schweitzer (#7) calls a play while Janet Wells (#9) guards her
photo by Isis Materano
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