For the first time in the four-year history of the Maritime Women’s Basketball Association, the PRO•LINE Legacy Cup is going to New Brunswick.
Miramchi Her-Icanes made that history happen with a thrilling, physical and dramatic 78-68 overtime victory over regular season champion Lake City 56ers of Dartmouth/Cole Harbour.
A remarkable game.
‘We battled and there were times where we bent and you had to wonder how it was going to turn out, but we were phenomenal during the overtime,’ said Miramichoi head coach, Neil Smith. ‘That is a quality team from Lake City and we knew we couldn’t take a shift off. That game could have gone either way. We’re incredibly happy with the entire season and our playoff run.’
Both teams finished the regular season with identical 8-2 records, fitting for the MWBA final.
It was tied 64-64 at the end of regular, a last second reverse jumper from Miramichi’s Aiden Rainford clanging off iron and falling out to set the stage for extra fun.
That’s when Grace Lancaster took over.
The sharpshooting Lancaster pumped in nine points in the five minute extra session to spark Miramichi,
Named tournament and championship MVP, Lancaster finished with 20 points before fouling out late in overtime.
Rebound monster Abby Miller and Lauren Rainford, the latter who had 20 points, both fouled out in the fourth quarter.
‘We asked a lot from the players who stepped in and stepped up for us and I only asked them not to foul, keep the play moving,’ said Smith. ‘We were rewarded for being calm under some serious heat from the 56ers.’
Devon Lawlor added 14 to the Miramichi attack. Miller finished with eight.
Regular season MVP MacKenzie Smith had 18 for the 56ers, forced out of the game late with a foot injury. Aki Kobayashi had 13 and Courtney Donaldson eight.
– Fran Harris Photo