The Halifax Hornets pulled of a stunner.
And with it, won the first-ever Maritime Women’s Basketball Association championship, taking home the Legacy Cup with a dramatic 87-84 victory over city rival Halifax Thunder on Sunday in front of a huge throng at Saint Mary’s University.
The Hornets’ win ended Thunder’s bid to cap a perfect season after the squad went 10-0 during the regular season and eliminated the Windsor Edge, 72-58 in semifinal play Saturday.
Hornets advanced with a 69-60 win over Fredericton Freeze in the other semifinal.
The game was certainly tense and Thunder appeared it would run away with things as the offensive floodgates opened for both teams.
It was tied 84-84 late, before the Hornets hit key free throws to give them the edge.
The Hornets had finished the regular season 8-2, both losses to Thunder.
Alaina McMillan had 18 points for the winners. Jalynn Skeir potted 15, Katherine Follis 13 and Chanel Smith hung 10.
Haley McDonald had 20 for Thunder. Elizabeth Beals-Iseyemi scored 16 and Marley Curwin 10.
All six teams were in Halifax for the MWBA championship.
Windsor defeated Fredericton 59-50 in the third place game.
MWBA regular season scoring champion Karissa Kajorinne exploded for 30 points to lead Windsor. Tiffany Reynolds had nine.
Eva Tumwine paced Fredericton with a 17-point outing. Bailey Black had 10.
Hornets started their weekend with a quarter-final win over Moncton Mystics. Edge ousted Port City Fog of Saint John in the other quarter-final.
– Championship celebration photo (DWinston Photo)
