Away we go.
One more sleep and the Maritime Women’s Basketball Association road to a championship officially begins with provincial playoffs this weekend.
There is one game Saturday and three on Sunday.
All Nova Scotia and New Brunswick divisional playoff games are sudden-death.
What does that mean?
Win, you’re in. Lose, you’re out.
It’s that simple.
The eventual PRO·LINE Legacy Cup Final Four will take place in Fredericton at the Richard J. Currie Center from June 20 to 21.
Two teams from Nova Scotia and two from New Brunswick will get there.
First, however, some serious challenges await.
It was a regular season perhaps like no other in 2026 as plenty of parity showcased the league’s 10-game campaign.
A smash of teams were, well, smashed together in the middle of the standings, meaning late season games meant a ton in terms of who was going to finish ahead of whom for home court advantage in the post-season.
That eagerly-anticipated post-season opens Saturday in Halifax when the hometown Hornets clash with the Lake City 56ers of Dartmouth/Cole Harbour/Preston.
Game time is 2 p.m., at Mount St. Vincent University.
Halifax won the season series and enters the game as Nova Scotia seed No. 2. Lake City comes in as NS No. 3.
The Hornets finished 6-4 and 56ers 5-5 including the two setbacks to Halifax which included an 86-74 loss in Dartmouth on June 6 and an 80-53 decision back on May 24.
A one-game-and-move-on scenario alters any regular season results, but both teams enter the contest with some serious talent at their disposals.
The Hornets outscored Lake City by 111 total points during the regular season, but the gap was tighter defensively, Halifax yielding 640 against, the 56ers allowing 676.
Halifax has some weapons with league-leading assist dealer Aki Kobayashi dishing to shooters and scorers like Lucy Beaumont, Clara Gascoigne and Samantha Russell.
Beaumont was eighth overall in MWBA scoring with 13.1 points per game and was second in rebounds with 10.5. Gascoigne averaged 11.7 points per game and was one of the league’s top plus-minus players, meaning the 56ers need to keep a wary eye on her. Russell averaged 8.7 points an outing and 6.3 rebounds. Chloe Wilson is a menace in the paint and can cause matchup issues with her strength.
Lake City will counter offensively with Olivia Logan’s 13 points a game Evie Hargraves brings nearly a dozen points a game and 8.2 rebounds while the Hornets also have maintain tabs on streaky scorer Lauren Armstrong. Armstrong can hit from outside and drive inside, witness her 9.6 points a game and she is strong on the glass with a 6.9 RPG mark. Courtney Donaldson is the league’s all-time leading scorer and has been battling through some injuries, but loves playoff pressure.
Depth can always play a role in a playoff game and the Hornets have plenty of that with veterans Chloe Wilson and Maddy Hiscock capable of big moments. Katelyn Power and veteran Jasmine Parent give size to the front line and the Hornets hope to utilize Irish pro Sara Brazil, anticipated back from injury.
The Sixers have plenty of veteran experience with Lillian Fuller, Julia Black, Emily MacNeil and speedy, ball hungry guard Jamiah Thomas.
Meanwhile, three Sunday games will unfold in the evening.
Nova Scotia No. 1 seed Halifax Thunder faces No. 4 seed Truro Tidal Queens in a 6:30 p.m., game at DAL PLEX on the campus of Dalhousie University.
The New Brunswick No. 1 seed Moncton Mystics host No. 4 seed Miramichi HerIcanes at 6 p.m., at Crandall University. No. 2 NB seed Fredericton Freeze welcomes No. 3 Port City to the Lady Beaverbrook Gymnasium for a 6:30 p.m., tip.
Those games will be previewed this weekend.
– Lake City loves to swarm paint at both ends of the floor and will hands full with Halifax Hornets (Fran Harris Phot0)
