The Moncton Mystics needed a Maritime Women’s Basketball Association win on Thursday.
They got it.
Moncton pulled out a big 82-72 victory over visiting Port City Fog of Saint John in the lone MWBA game.
This one was played at Harrison Trimble High School.
The Mystics moved to 2-5 on the season and creep a little closer to Port City and idle Miramichi Her-Icanes in the race for home court advantage in the single game playoff later this for New Brunswick teams. Port City slipped to 3-4 and the ‘Canes are 3-3 entering weekend play.
Moncton came to play, bolting into a 51-43 halftime lead before the teams cooled off in the second half. Port City tried a late surge, cutting a 20-point deficit to 10 points late in the fourth quarter, but the Mystics held their ground.
Leonie Elbert powered the Moncton attack with a game high 30 points including 20 of them in the first half. Allie Berry meshed 21 and Kelsey McLaughlin had 13.
Courtney Thompson continued to be Port City’s offensive stalwart, sinking 14 points. Kaylee Kilpatrick offered a dozen and Amelia Mitchell and Kristen Taylor both had eight.
The standings are certainly magnified in the MWBA this season with the addition of Miramichi pushing the league to seven teams.
The top two teams in New Brunswick will host a single-game playoff for the right to advance to the Pro*Line Stadium Series Legacy Cup Final Quartet at Dalhousie University in Halifax from June 22 to 23.
Those two games will be held at the site of the top two NB finishers on Tuesday, June 18.
The three Nova Scotia teams are in a unique post-season bid.
First place in Nova Scotia will host the third place regular season team on June 18. The winner of that game automatically advances to championship weekend while the loser will face the second place team in a sudden-death game Thursday, June 20, for the right to advance.
Intrigue is created all the way around.
Halifax Thunder sit atop the standings at 6-0, but have the same number of points as Lake City 56ers of Dartmouth and their 6-2 mark. The two teams will clash before season’s end.
Fredericton Freeze is alone in third at 4-3 with the Fog and Miramichi deadlocked.
Halifax Hornets are seventh at 0-7 entering the weekend.
It all sets up what should be a dynamic Saturday and Sunday schedule as the race to the regular season finish is in full gear.
– Moncton’s Leonie Elbert went off for 30 points in a win over Port City (DWinston File Photo)
