Bobcats complete sweep on Senior Night

Barring four unlikely results, the Brandon University Bobcats are heading back to the Canada West women’s basketball playoffs.

The Bobcats (7-11) outlasted the MacEwan Griffins 72-66 at the Healthy Living Centre on Saturday on the sweetest Senior Night in recent program history.

Fifth-year Cali Yates got her second start of the season, and Piper Ingalls dropped 27 points, bringing her weekend total to 59 and surpassing 1,000 for her career.

“Cali plays with a lot of grit, a lot of heart, a lot of fire and that’s something we really feed off of as a team,” said rookie forward Ella Averill, who scored a game-high 28 points.

“We need one person to get hot or to do something really good, really unselfish and that just sets everyone alight. It was great she got the start and came out there hard and brought the energy for everyone.”

Ingalls dropped 22 in the first half, then Averill carried Brandon for the second, smiling and laughing through even the most tense moments.

“That’s when you know I feel like I can put the ball in the basket is when I’ve got a big smile on my face,” Averill said.

“Illy (head coach Ilarion Bonhomme) is the best coach to understand me as a person and understand that for me to play good, I need to be happy, I need to be bubbly, I need to be dancing in the breaks, being a little bit silly, that’s just me.”

Ingalls started her final game at the HLC perfectly, hitting her first two three-pointers and all four free throws she took for 10 points in the first quarter.

Averill added five of six from the stripe, but Toni Gordon answered with nine points on 4-for-4 shooting as the Griffins (0-18) led 21-20 through 10 minutes.

MacEwan led 28-27 midway through the second, when Ella Averill sparked a 9-0 Bobcat run capped by an Ingalls trey.

The senior added another, pulling up in transition for a shot most players would be reprimanded for to take a 39-31 lead into halftime.

Brandon started the second half ice cold while MacEwan went on a 9-0 run to take the lead four minutes in.

But Averill replied with the next eight points, and added another layup. She scored BU’s first 11 points of the quarter in nine minutes, then Ingalls hit a three to put the Bobcats up 52-44 heading to the final frame.

Paige Massier, who started the second half strong to keep MacEwan in it, continued scoring at a high clip in the fourth. So did Averill, keeping Brandon’s lead at least six most of the way.

Ingalls knocked down two free throws with 2:20 to go, then took her fifth foul and headed to the bench with a wry grin.

“Hilarious, to be honest,” Averill said. “We all started laughing when she fouled out. There was no other way for her to do it, really, and it was awesome that she got to have that applause from the crowd and everyone around her.

“At the end, we were celebrating the win, so it was good she got her chance. She’s put so much into this team and this community and it meant the world that she got that sendoff.”

It was all smiles for BU at the time, up 11 points. But the Griffins cut the lead to three with 22 seconds left on an 8-0 run.

Averill hit two free throws and the Bobcats got a stop to put it out of reach.

Now, unless Lethbridge (5-13) sweeps Alberta (13-5) and BU drops both at Manitoba (6-12) this Friday and Saturday, BU will crack the top 12 for the first time since 2017.

“Amazing, that’s been our goal all year is to clinch a playoff spot, something that BU women’s hasn’t done in a long time,” Averill said.

“Ninety-nine per cent, so going to play hard next week because it’s not over yet.”

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com