Player of the Week

Royale Player of the Week 

WEEK 6

(Bob Pettipas Photo)

The Moncton Mystics have come out of nowhere and made it a race to the finish for New Brunswick-based teams jockeying for home court advantage in the Maritime Women’s Basketball Association.

Seemingly prepared to finish fourth in the province, Moncton turned the MWBA on its ear with a pair of enormous wins last week and one of its players has been named Player of the Week Presented by Royale.

Point guard Leonie Elbert captured the award as the league enters the final week of regular season play.

Moncton entered the week with a 1-5 record, but is now on a two-game win streak following a thrilling 82-80 overtime road win over Lake City 56ers in Dartmouth and an 82-72 win at home over Port City Fog of Saint John.

The Mystics sit 3-5 with two games remaining including an enormous Thursday matchup at home against the 4-4 Fredericton Freeze.

Elbert struck a big three-pointer to keep Moncton in the game late against Lake City and the Mystics held on for an improbably comeback, down five points in the last minute of regulation.

She finished with 13 points and an assist in just over 37 minutes of floor time.

Elbert exploded for 30 points in just over 34 minutes of play in the win over Port City, adding four assists.

Other players considered for the weekly honour were Kiera Duffie of Halifax Thunder, Amanda Pearcey of Halifax Hornets, Allie McCarthy of Fredericton, Kassidy Hamilton of Miramichi Her-Icanes, Lake City’s Lauren Armstrong and Port City’s Amelia Mitchell.

The Freeze and Mystics clash in Moncton at 7 p.m. at Harrison Trimble High School and at the same time, Thunder welcomes Lake City to Saint Mary’s University in a key Nova Scotia game as the hosts try and extend an undefeated season to nine games.

Moncton hits the road Friday to face the Fog at 7 p.m. at University of New Brunswick at Saint John.

One game Saturday sees Port City travel to Miramichi to meet the Her-icanes at 7 p.m. at Miramichi Valley High School.

The curtain comes down on the regular season Sunday with Miramichi meeting Fredericton at 1 p.m. at Lady Beaverbrook Gymnasium while Thunder visits Hornets in an all-Halifax clash at 3 p.m. at Mount St. Vincent University.

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