Yates, Bobcats hit pre-season running

Cali Yates decided to give her senior year with the Brandon University Bobcats everything she has.

Not just now that the women’s basketball team is back for the fall, but from the start of the off-season.

The five-foot-10 guard from La Salle spent her summer in Brandon training at the Healthy Living Centre twice a day.

She’d arrive early in the morning for individual sessions with BU men’s hoops assistant coach O’Neil Gordon, then return for the afternoon to learn from both Gordon and Bobcats women’s head coach Ilarion Bonhomme.

“At the start, it was tough on the body, but then after a couple of weeks, I was used to it and I was used to going twice a day. Now, sometimes when I’m just doing practices, I’m used to working at high levels, and my body feels prepared,” Yates said.

“Some mornings were tough, but I knew that it would pay off. It definitely helped me with my routine in general. Now, I just get up early every day and I’m able to get more things done with my day.”

Yates and the Bobcats return to game action on Friday with a home exhibition game against the Briercrest College Clippers at 6 p.m.

Yates had a slow start to her U Sports career, redshirting in 2021-22 before averaging less than eight minutes per game the following season.

But in 2023-24, she was a full-time starter, playing about half the time while averaging 6.7 points per game.

Yates dropped to 3.5 ppg last year, starting just four games and dipping back under 15 minutes per contest.

Her field-goal percentage also went down from 31 to 25.

Instead of being discouraged, she put her head down and worked harder than ever, not just for herself but for her team.

Once she adjusted to the demanding workload, she said she became increasingly excited for the morning workouts with Gordon.

“I really liked the way he does his workouts. They’re very intentional, focused on what I was trying to get better at,” Yates said, adding that shooting and ball-handling were the priorities.

“He really just made the game a lot more simple, and he slowed it down. We went to some of the basics and just kept building … until the end of summer.”

Meanwhile, Amaya McLeod of Reno, Nev., also stuck around to train ahead of her fourth year of eligibility.

Assistant coach Matt McLeod said she made some big strides over the summer.

“Ducky has been here all year, putting in tons of work over the summer. “It’s harder for her being an import and not being able to go home, but it’s just a testament to the work she’s wanting to put in and the expectations she has for herself going forward,” McLeod said.

“It’s a lot of the stuff that takes repetition, so it’s shooting, ball handling, the fundamental stuff that once you introduce team concepts, now that we’re into the season, doesn’t get the time or attention it truly needs to develop to a next level. There’s been quite a few of them putting in the work.”

The Bobcats have a busy schedule, including a rematch of Friday’s game against Briercrest on Saturday at 2 p.m., then a home game against Canadian Mennonite University on Sept. 21.

BU heads to Montreal to face the Université du Québec à Montréal on Oct. 2, Algoma University the following day, and MacEwan University on Oct. 4.

Then, the Bobcats fly to Halifax to face the Dalhousie Tigers twice on Oct. 9-10 before taking on the St. Mary’s Huskies on Oct. 11.

The regular season opens at home against Manitoba on Oct. 24.

Assistant coach James Forrester said the game-heavy pre-season is important.

“One of the main things is getting a chance to get acclimated with each other,” Forrester said. “We’ve got a couple of new players that still need to build some chemistry with the current group, so it’s a positive having a couple of games in our pocket to really get things going, see how the offence flows, see if we can matchup any differently when … the season begins.”

During the three seasons Yates has played at BU, the Bobcats have won a combined four Canada West regular-season games. She’s eager to see that number jump this season and feels the combination of veterans returning and some key import additions in Macaya Copeland of Minnesota and Ella Averill of Australia will help the Bobcats thrive in a fast, intense play style.

Forrester agrees.

“From a competitive level, everyone has been getting after it … really physical, and hopefully that’s going to translate into the season,” he said.

“The two new players are phenomenal talents, along with the rookies who got a lot of playing time last year, so I’m really excited to see how one good off-season is going to help their games.

“To the Bobcat fans, be excited, just as much as we are, because it’s going to be a great campaign.”

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