U15 Womens Nationals: Team Manitoba gets two crazy victories on day 3
Day 3 was a day to remember for the U15 Manitoba team. They played two games in one day and came out victorious in both games which went down to the wire.
In the first game they played against a Newfoundland team that wouldn’t go away. They prevailed with a 3 pointer from Nikki Majewski and stopped Newfoundland in the final seconds. In the evening game they faced a New Brunswick team which took a huge lead going into half, leading by 18. Slowly Manitoba worked hard on each possession and erased the deficit and forced OT where they emerged victorious in a crazy finish.
Game 1: Manitoba vs. Newfoundland
Newfoundland proved to be a tough opponent as they took a nine point lead going into the break at half. Newfoundland relied heavily on Kelsey Moore as she led the team to a lead at the break.
Following the break, Manitoba took control of the game and with a few key possessions Nikki Majewski and Susanna Namgung brought their team back into contention. Going into the 4th Manitoba was tied with Newfoundland.
Manitoba started the 4th quarter with a 5-0 while Newfoundland continued to keep missing crucial shots. Newfoundland would manage to tie the game up, but with 1:04 left in the game Nikki Majewski made a 3 pointer that sealed the deal.
Nikki Majewski finished with a game high 21 points and 13 rebounds. She was not the only offense for Manitoba as Susanna Namgung added 20 points going 2/4 from 3 point land. Emma Arnott and Jasmine Ibrahim added solid contributions on the rebounding front as well.
Newfoundland was led by Kelsey Moore who scored 21 points, she was aided by Janet Lee who grabbed 11 rebounds and scored 8 points to help.
Game 2: Manitoba vs. New Brunswick
The second game with Manitoba had them squaring off against New Brunswick. Manitoba needed to win this game if they were to have any chance of finishing 2nd in the group and advancing into the playoff pool.
This game would belong to a few players on Manitoba as the coaches decided to go with a smaller rotation to match up well against a good New Brunswick team.
The 2nd quarter was dominated by New Brunswick. They took control of the quarter and made Manitoba pay for their misses. Led by Abby MacDonald and Katie Daley they were able to hit a few three pointers and grab key rebounds in the quarter extending their lead to 18 at halftime.
Manitoba came out looking like a different team and they started chipping away at the massive lead. With strong play from Nikki Majewski and Emma Arnott Manitoba turned the game around significantly bringing the deficit to only ten with one quarter to play.
Emma Arnott started the 4th quarter with five straight points, and with the help of Nikki Majewski and Susanna Namgung they slowly broke down the NB lead. The last four minutes of the game with all the noise was probably the most intense game at this tournament so far and with a loud an noisy other half of the gym it made for a that much better atmosphere.
With 28 seconds left, Susanna Namgung was fouled and went to the line for two shots. She made both of them and noting the game up at 62 leaving NB with one final possession which was given to their star player Katie Daley who missed forcing Over Time.
Over Time was just as crazy as the regulation finish, with seven seconds left Jasmine Ibrahim made a shot to give Manitoba a one point lead. Katie Daley then quickly rushed down court and proceeded to wait then take a 3 point shot which was missed, therefore giving Manitoba another victory.
Emma Arnott had an amazing performance scoring 23 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and adding a block. Nikki Majewski was also key again as she continues to be one of Manitoba’s best players game in and game out. In this game she had 16 points and 13 rebounds. Susanna Namgung has been a great defender for Manitoba and a steady rock throughout these few games and this game was no different she finished with 13 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.
On the other side, New Brunswick was lead by their leaders Abby MacDonald who had a team high 22 points (6/10 from 3 point range), 6 steals and 3 rebounds. To compliment her Katie Daley was solid registering 12 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.
