Royals come close against Kermodes
By Courtnie Martin, Sports Reporter
Coming into the game, the Quest Kermodes surely expected an easy win, seeing as Douglas’ women’s basketball team dropped their opening game 61-33 to Langara. The crowd was enthusiastically behind the Kermodes—who seemed set for a walk in the park—but the Royals gave them a rude awakening. The team’s camaraderie and high energy left Quest rattled in the first 20 minutes of play.
Douglas took its opponent by surprise with aggressive defence, quick court speed, and hands down shooting in the first half. Adelia Paul rounded up three huge three-pointers, pushing the momentum of the game in Douglas’ favour. Quest could not seem to find the bottom of the net until the last two minutes of the half, when they knocked down three major baskets. The final drive was a buzzer beater, giving them the lead into half-time and seemingly cooling down the fiery Royals.
In the first few minutes of the quarter, both teams seemed stagnant in their offensive sets, turning the ball over on both ends of the floor, until the Kermodes broke the slump with three consecutive mid-range jumpers . Douglas allowed the four-point game to creep away in the fourth quarter. Foul trouble was knocking on Douglas’ door early in the final 10 minutes of battle: Chloe Kennedy, Paul, and Garaline Tom had fouls, causing the Royals to let up defensively.
Quest found their footing with eight minutes remaining in the contest. Quick passing and dribble penetration left key shooters open, allowing easy opportunities at the rim. Quest capitalized on every defensive breakdown. With three minutes remaining, the Royals were down nine points. Nanaya Miki remained aggressive on the offensive end, attacking the basket and shooting free throws after every dribble penetration, scoring 17 of the Royals’ points. Both teams exchanged baskets until the clock read 1:37 of play left. Coach Nelson felt it necessary to play good solid defence without intentionally fouling to stop the clock. At the end of contest, Quest came out on top: 73-61.
“I think we played very well, and as a team. Everyone expected us to get blown out and we proved them wrong. I was really disappointed we lost because I felt we could’ve won if we adjusted some of the little things. Overall, the team played together and we poured our hearts out. The crowd was a tough one, but we tried to remain focussed,” said Paul, who finished the game with 15 points and seven rebounds.
Although the Royals have begun the redemption process, they recognize they still have a ways to go before becoming the successful team they know they are capable of being.
