Women's Basketball headed to Nationals

It was a historical weekend for the Lakeland Rustlers women's basketball team.  Hoping to build on their 2019 bronze medal the women jumped on the bus and traveled to the ACAC Championships hosted by Medicine Hat College.   

At the awards banquet Brianne Hergott was named to the ACAC All-Conference first team while Jaden Cook and Bilge Topalogu were named to the ACAC All-Conference second team.  To finish the evening of awards head coach Chris King was selected by his peers as the ACAC North Coach of the Year

For the first game of the championships the ladies were pitted against the Lethbridge Kodiaks in the quarter final match.  The Rustlers trailed the Kodiaks until the 4th quarter where they outscored their opponent 22 - 13 and finished the game with a 72 - 64 victory.  In the semifinal game the Rustlers went up against the defending CCAA National Champions Olds Broncos.  The game was a back and forth affair but when the final whistle had blown the Rustlers left the gymnasium with a 58 - 50 victory and a spot in Saturdays gold medal final and secured a trip to the National Championship.  

Even though the Rustlers secured a trip to the National Championship for the first time in Women's Basketball history at Lakeland, they were determined to bring home the ACAC Championships banner.  Saturdays Gold medal game pitted the Rustlers against their division rivals, Keyano Huskies.  The Rustlers jumped out to a 22 - 4 lead at the end of the first quarter and did not look back earning their 3rd victory in 3 days, and for the first time in Lakeland Women's basketball history, an ACAC title.  Student athletes Brianne Hergott and Jaden Cook were selected as tournament all stars while point guard Tori Dugan was selected as the MVP of the Championships

The Rustlers will now travel to Nanaimo, BC March 17 to take on the top Collegiate Women's Basketball teams in Canada.