Really doesn’t matter what it is.
Sports. Tourism. Restaurant scene. Blue collar versus White Collar from days gone by.
When the cities Fredericton and Saint John are mentioned in the same breath, you know things can get spicy.
Fans of the Maritime Women’s Basketball Association can certainly expect an intense rivalry to continue when the Fredericton Freeze welcomes Port City Fog of Saint John to the New Brunswick Capital on Sunday.
Game time is 6:30 p.m., in the MWBA New Brunswick Division sudden-death semifinal at the Lady Beaverbrook Gymnasium.
The winner advances directly to the PRO•LINE Legacy Cup Final Four championship, set for June 20 to 21 at the Richard J. Currie Center in Fredericton, some 138 feet from the LB Gym.
Port City would love nothing better than to grab bragging rights and attend its first Final Four since 2024.
This should be a dead heat.
Fredericton went on a late season offensive roll, scoring 298 points in three straight wins to nail down the No. 2 seed in New Brunswick with a 6-4 record. Port City had kept pace throughout the season with its Highway 7 rival, but finished 5-5 and enter the mix as NB No. 3 seed.
These teams are close.
Both the Freeze and Fog won on their home court.
Port City earned a 75-68 win in Saint John on May 16 and five days later on May 21, the Freeze posted a 76-61 victory at the LB Gym, meaning only eight points separated the teams in head-to-head action.
The Freeze can explode at any given time offensively, but are also a physical defensive team that doesn’t mind dark alleys.
The one-two punch of Allie McCarthy and Bailey Russell can turn game tides at any given moment with their compete level and offence. Russell finished second in league scoring with 18.2 points a game and McCarthy’s 16.9 was third. High-flying Ann Bastien is tough at both ends and loves to play defence. Fifth-year veteran Eva Tumwine is a punishing force where games are won and lost and averages over 13 points a game. Kristen Taylor and Paige LeBlanc are minute eaters that know their way around the court and can strike. Maheva Ngassam is an Energizer Bunny, 13 points a game and just under 10 boards.
Rookie Nicole Campbell played just under 19 minutes a game and brings size to the Freeze, who spent most of the season injury-riddled, but got healthy at the right time for head coach, Bram Russell.
All that to say, Port City doesn’t come into the game intimidated.
Head coach Dom Laviolette is a calming sideline presence for the Fog and understands his young team relishes going into enemy territory for a big post-season game.
Amelia Mitchell used to be one of those young MWBA players, but the fifth-year leader loves to play the game, appearing in all 10 regular season Fog games and eating almost 28 minutes of floor time a game. She scored 9.3 points a game and is tenacious going after balls with 6.9 rebounds. Celine Sterckel is an MWBA veteran in her first Fog season and she can shoot it with anyone in the circuit. Sterckel averaged 9.8 points a game and can go on offensive rolls when her right hand gets hot.
Grace Tilley has battled back from injuries and been a heart-warming story for Port City. She gives the Fog over 30 minutes a game, has had some huge offensive games and is in double figure PPG at 10.6. Neve Pearson brings 9.2 points per game and almost two steals a game, Ella MacDonald was the team leading-scorer with 13.2 PPG and is dangerous with the ball, leading the Fog with 3.4 assists.
Clancy MacIntyre can change a game as well with 10.7 points a game.
Port City uses a balanced lineup and shares the ball well, patient in its offence to find the open player outside or in the paint.
This one has all the makings of a Fredericton-Saint John classic.
The game can be viewed on Pay Per View at www.ao.live
– Two familiar rivals go head-to-head in MWBA playoff action Sunday night. (Fran Harris Photo)
