Freeze Holds Off Comeback-Minded Fog

The Fredericton Freeze bent, but didn’t break.

‘We may have been too comfortable coming out of the first half and maybe tried to do a little too much,’ said Freeze head coach and general manager, Bram Russell. ‘We didn’t score a third quarter point until late, but did enough to keep it close. Credit that team, but we responded in the fourth.’

Yes, they did.

In the end, the Freeze pulled out an entertaining 76-61 Maritime Women’s Basketball Association win over the visiting Port City Fog of Saint John.

Fredericton held a seemingly comfortable 41-29 lead through the first half, but watched the Fog envelope it in the third, shooting out the lights and simply pounding the paint for easy buckets, outscoring the Freeze, 25-13 in that frame.

The Freeze turned the tables in the pivotal fourth frame, pouring in 21 points while yielding only seven.

Ann Bastien sparked Fredericton with 19 points, a game high. Maheva Ngassam popped 16 and Allie McCarthy added a dozen. Kristen Taylor struck for 10.

Ella MacDonald’s 16 points sparked the Fog, 13 of them in the first half. Neve Pearson hit for a dozen, Clancy MacIntyre scored 11 and Amelia Mitchell meshed 10.

Fredericton moved to 2-3 while the Fog is now 3-3.

Both teams are idle this weekend as the MWBA enters Week IV.

– Fredericton’s Paige LeBlanc drives to the bucket against Port City. (Fran Harris Photo)