The Halifax Thunder has won its third PRO·LINE Legacy Cup championship.
In the five-year existence of the Maritime Women’s Basketball Association, Thunder has its three titles following a thrilling and dramatic 62-58 victory over Fredericton Freeze at the Richard J. Currie Center in Fredericton.
Fredericton charged out of the gate early and had a nine-point lead late in the second before Thunder rallied, closing to 34-32 deficit at halftime.
The game changed in a pivotal third quarter when Halifax found its offensive spark, outscoring the Freeze, 17-4.
Thunder stretched the lead in the fourth and appeared ready to coast to a title, but Freeze refused to buckle and stormed back, closing to within one late in the dynamic final frame.
Fredericton got it down to one shot, but Thunder would not yield the lead and held on to garner the mug.
MWBA regular season MVP Elizabeth Beals-Iseyemi powered Halifax with a 17-point performance. Justine Colley-Leger hit for 11 points. Maddy White and Mali Straker both scored nine.
Bailey Russell scored a game-high 18 points for the Freeze. Allie McCarthy meshed a dozen and Ann Bastien had eight.
Halifax finished the regular season with a 9-1 record, its only loss an 80-77 thriller at home to Fredericton.
The Freeze finished third overall with a 6-4 record.
And so ends the fifth season of MWBA action.
‘We are continuing to grow our product and we have already been in discussions for the 2027 season and all teams are on board with reviewing our entire process,’ said MWNA commissioner, Jen McKenzie, of Dartmouth, NS. ‘We are seeing tremendous talent on the floor and we will continue to strengthen our off-court framework. All eight teams have the best interest of the MWBA at heart and we look forward to continuing that pursuit.’
The league will host its Annual General Meeting in October.
There will be reviews of potential rule changes, expansion interest and more as the sixth season beckons.
