Box Score Despite a valiant comeback attempt, the No. 5 Varsity Blues women’s basketball team fell 58-49 to the No. 4 Cape Breton Capers in quarter-final action at the 2011 CIS Final 8 championship on Friday night in Windsor, Ont.
With the loss, the Blues now face the Laval Rouge et Or in the second consolation semi-final tomorrow at 3 p.m. Toronto has not won a CIS quarter-final game since 1997, when they downed the Lakehead Thunderwolves, 73-59, en route to finishing fourth.
U of T, who returned to the Final 8 for the first time since 2008, overcome an 11-point first-quarter deficit and tied the game at 38 at the end of the third before being outscored 20-11 in the final frame.
“I thought we came out anxious and didn’t defend the post game very well,” said Varsity Blues head coach Michèle Bélanger, now in her17th appearance at the national championship. “We were in quick foul trouble, which was detrimental to our game. They picked us apart and at the end of the day it just wasn’t one of our stronger performances.”
Fifth-year forward and CIS all-Canadian Nicki Schutz knocked down a team-high 12 points and seven boards, while second-year forward Alicia Van Kampen of Orangeville, Ont., and veteran guard Joanna Medri (Toronto) had eight points and four rebounds apiece. Both Erin McNeely and Sherri Pierce also tallied eight points in the loss.
The Blues got off to a slow start in the first, turning the ball over seven times and committing nine fouls to the Capers two. Fourth-year guard and AUS first team all-star Jahlica Kirnon had nine points to lead Cape Breton to a 23-12 advantage heading into the second quarter.
Toronto slowly inched their way back into the game with a 6-0 run and held the Capers scoreless for the first 5:49 of the second. Five points from Cape Breton’s leading scorer Kari Everett (Stilesville, N.B.) extended the gap to 28-21 at halftime.
Both teams battled hard throughout the third and a Medri three pointer with just over three minutes remaining brought the game within four. Toronto continued to push and with four late points from Schutz they evened the score heading into the fourth quarter.
Cape Breton opened with an 11-0 run before the Blues got their game back on track. Medri drained her second three of the game to bring Toronto to within six but that was as close as it got.
Kari Everett led the Capers with a game-high 20 points and 10 boards, while Kirnon finished the night with a double-double of 15 points and 10 boards. Stephanie Toxopeus had 10 points and Danisha Haywood recorded a game-high 14 rebounds in the win.
