The Halifax Hornets have ended a playoff drought.
Halifax, the inaugural Maritime Women’s Basketball Association champions back in 2022, had endured the last two seasons without advancing to the PRO•LINE Legacy Cup Final Four championship weekend.
That all changed Saturday.
The Hornets raced out a 48-34 halftime lead and never looked back to send the 2025 finalist Lake City 56ers of Dartmouth/Cole Harbour/Preston to the sidelines.
Halifax becomes the first team to reach next weekend’s PRO•LINE Legacy Cup at Fredericton’s Richard J. Currie Center on the campus of the University of New Brunswick.
The Hornets entered the contest as Nova Scotia Division No. 2 seed following a 6-4 regular season record. Lake City was Nova Scotia No. 3 following a 5-5 campaign.
Each player on the Halifax roster reached the scoresheet in the divisional semifinal win.
Clara Gascoigne and Aki Kobayashi paved the way with 13 points apiece. Emily Dikdan had 11 and Lucy Beaumont scored 10.
Lauren Armstrong paced all scorers and Lake City with a game-high 20 points. Lillian Fuller scored nine and Julia Black, Darah Fleurgin and Olivia Logan all counted eight points apiece.
The other Nova Scotia semifinal goes Sunday at 6:30 p.m., at DalPlex on the campus of Dalhousie University.
No. 1 seed Halifax Thunder faces No. 4 seed Truro Tidal Queens with the winner going to Fredericton.
Both New Brunswick Division semifinals unfolds Sunday as well.
At 6 p.m., NB No. 1 seed Moncton Mystics host No. 4 seed Miramichi HerIcanes at Crandall University.
A half an hour later, No. 2 NB seed Fredericton Freeze greets No. 3 NB seed Port City Fog of Saint John.
That game will be played at Lady Beaverbrook Gymnasium at UNB.
– Clara Gascoigne helped spark Halifax to the MWBA PRO•LINE Legacy Cup final. (DW File Photo)
