SYDNEY, N.S. — A long playoff run might just be in the cards for a rebuilding Capers women’s basketball team at the Atlantic University Sport championship.
The Cape Breton University team could just as easily have an early exit, but that sums up expectations for just about every team in the running for a tightly contested Atlantic title in Halifax this weekend.
“I never like to use the word rebuilding, I like to say reloading in a sense but we are in a rebuild as people would say and this is a great experience for our kids to get to the playoffs,” said Capers head coach Fabian McKenzie, whose teams have been to the playoffs 19 of the past 20 years.
“There are totally different expectations around it and it is great that way to get experience under their belt and, hopefully, keep building but nothing is out of the equation here. We’ve beaten every team in the playoffs. We could get on a run and do well or we could go home Saturday. It’s that close this year.”
The Capers (9-11) enter Friday's quarter-final game versus the University of New Brunswick as the No. 5 seed with their opponents, the Varsity Reds (10-10) coming in at No. 4.
Though CBU lost three-of-four games to the Varsity Reds this year, they have some momentum on their side as winners of three of their last four contests to close out the regular season.
The ability to finally floor a healthy squad is one of the reasons for the team’s late-season success.
“We’ve been banged up and injured all year,” said McKenzie. “We just couldn’t turn the corner health-wise and, for the most part, we are healthy now, which is new. That’s one big advantage for us. We actually have bodies we can put on the floor.”
Every healthy body will be needed if the Capers are to find success this weekend, especially Friday against the offensively gifted UNB squad.
“They are a tough team,” he said. “It might be a struggle but I think we are a little different team than the last time we played them, so hopefully we can put some of those good things to use but we are going to have to defend them really well. They are really, really good that way.”
SEASON SERIES
Capers vs Reds
CBU (9-11) vs UNB (10-10)
Head-to-head
- UNB 89 CBU 84 (Nov. 15)
- CBU 59 UNB 56 (Nov. 16)
- UNB 64 CBU 56 (Jan. 11)
- UNB 60 CBU 44 (Jan. 12)
Besides being healthier than at most times during the current season, McKenzie said the Capers are defending much better as of late, too.
They are also getting balanced contributions from their roster, notably from Hailey MacLeod, the AUS rookie of the year, and all-stars MacKenzee Ryan and Monique Calliste.
If those key contributions continue, and those players stay healthy and defend well, things might go well for the Capers, beginning Friday. McKenzie knows that other teams are thinking the same way, though.
“As always, at this time of year, if you play well and put the right pieces in place things happen, the ball bounces your way, and you get a win.”
SCHEDULE
2020 Subway AUS Women’s Basketball Championship
at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax
Friday
Quarter-final 1
- 1 p.m., CBU vs UNB
Quarterfinal 2
- 6:30 p.m., SMU vs Memorial
Saturday
Semifinals
- 1 p.m., Winner QF1 vs UPEI
- 6:30 p.m., Winner QF2 vs Acadia
Sunday
- 1 p.m., Championship
Seeding: UPEI - No. 1; Acadia - No. 2; Memorial - No. 3; University of New Brunswick - No. 4; Cape Breton University - No. 5; Saint Mary’s No. 6
