The moment was not too big for a Maritime Women’s Basketball Association rookie.
Although her team had a 2-0 lead, they would not take the lead again until the fourth quarter, but it was a play by Bailey Russell that turned the tide in favour of the Fredericton Freeze.
Russell took a pass at the top of the key and calmly buried a three-pointer, just beating the buzzer and allowing the Freeze to close to a 51-50 deficit, signalling the beginning of a major comeback at home over Lake City 56ers, a 65-61 final.
It was a highlight of a solid afternoon for Russell, who finished with 14 points as Fredericton snapped a two-game losing streak and ended Lake City’s six-game win stretch.
For her efforts, Russell was named the league’s Player of the Week presented by Royale.
Royale is a founding sponsor of the MWBA and has provided remarkable opportunities for the three-year-old circuit.
Other players considered for the award were Lake City’s Lillian Fuller, Alaina McMillan of Halifax Thunder, Courtney Thompson of Saint John’s Port City Fog, Katie Donahoe of Miramichi Her-Icanes, Jasmine Parent of Halifax Hornets and Leonie Elbert of the Moncton Mystics.
League action returns to the court with a single game Thursday night in Moncton when the Mystics welcome Port City at 7 p.m.
That game will be televised live on Rogers TV NB from Harrison Trimble High School.
There are three games set for Saturday including Moncton paying Lake City a visit at 2 p.m. at Dartmouth’s Zatzman Sportsplex, and a 3 p.m. game unfolds at University of New Brunswick at Saint John when the Fog welcomes the Hornets.
The final game of the day is at 7 p.m. when Thunder rolls into Miramichi Valley High School for a date with the ‘Canes.
Two games are on the slate Sunday and both tip off at 3 p.m.
Fredericton Freeze faces Thunder at Fredericton High School. The Freeze had to move its court to FHS due to the massive School’s Out Shootout youth tournament at the University of New Brunswick. That game will also be a Rogers TV NB event.
The Hornets slide into Miramichi for a game with the Her-Icanes at MVHS.