Trojans hang on for win over Lions
CALGARY, ALTA., (Nov. 2, 2018) — The SAIT Trojans women's basketball couldn't miss in the first half. That proved to be important as the game went on.
In a tale of two very different halves, the short-handed Trojans scored 40 in the opening 20 minutes of play, and just 13 in the final 20 minutes on their way to a 53-41 win over the Ambrose University Lions in their Friday night Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) game played at SAIT's Campus Centre.
"Today, we came out in the first half and really focused on getting a good start, offensively," said Trojans head coach, Bir Parmar. "The message we sent at half was to make sure we didn't drop off defensively. We gave up 20 points in the first half and 21 in the second, so our defensive effort was consistent all game."
SAIT improves to 2-2 on the year, while Ambrose falls to 1-4.
The Trojans got out to fast start thanks to the shooting touch of second-year guard Jaiden Hansen (2nd year, Okotoks, Alta., Nutrition for Healthy Lifestyles).
She connected on all four of her three-point shots to get the crowd going and give her team a 22-9 lead after the first quarter of play.
"I could see everyone in the crowd standing up, and then when we got back on defense, our men's team was yelling at me," Hansen said, laughing. "That got me going pretty good."
Hansen made two more in the second to give her 20 points in the half, and her team a 40-20 lead at the break.
"We have had kids here before who got the hot hand, so we know that when you have someone who's feeling it, you get them the ball," Parmar said.
After half, both teams struggled mightily in third – combining for just 13 points. Ambrose did most of the scoring in the fourth quarter, outscoring the hosts 15-6. But it wouldn't be enough, as the Trojans were able to salt away the win.
"The spread did tighten up in the fourth quarter, but if you win by one or by 12, it doesn't matter; a win's a win," Parmar said.
The Trojans return to action next weekend with a pair of home games – Friday night against the Red Deer College Queens and Saturday against Lethbridge College. Both games are slated for 6pm starts.
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