Lakeland Rustlers Weekend Recap - Feb 20, 2024
Lakeland enjoyed the last weekend of solely regular season action before most of the record nine teams take part in the ACAC Championships.
Rustlers Basketball
Rustlers basketball was the lone sport competing Feb. 16-17, hosting a pair of cross divisional games against Red Deer Polytechnic and Olds College. The Friday night matchup against RDP was the most highly anticipated event of the basketball calendar thus far, with Lakeland facing the then top ranked women's team and third ranked men's team.
Over the course of the women's contest, RDP showed why they are one of the top teams in the CCAA, but Lakeland showed why they've been the top ranked team in the country most of the season, winning 61-52. Susan Ayaa had a game high 12 points, while Jaden Cook won POG with 6 points, 4 steals and 8 rebounds.
The following evening, the squad celebrated Senior Night and the careers of Jaden Cook, Hailey Somers and Ally Pilgrim. The three fifth year players were all members of women's basketball's first ACAC title in 2020. Facing the low ranked Broncos, Lakeland quickly went on a double digit run to start the game, eventually winning 72-28. Pilgrim won POG with a game high 14 points.
In the men's contest on Friday, the Rustlers had a commanding start and were up 20 at the half, before giving up 32 points in the third quarter to the RDP Kings. Despite the change in momentum, Lakeland recovered with a determined effort in the fourth quarter, winning 84-78. Andre McFadden scored a game high 32 points, while Favour Ugbah had 18 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals.
Saturday, the men overcame an uneven first half to blow out the Broncos 108-77. McFadden had 29 points, while Chance Samuel added 25. Samson Okwera was named POG.
What's Coming Up
The women made ACAC history by becoming the first program to beat every other team in the league in one season, running the table at 20-0, while the men lock up second place in the North Division with a 12-8 record. Both teams will now host their respective Quarter-final matchups this Saturday night. Chris King's women's squad will face the winner of the 4/5 play-in game at 6:00 PM, with Sheray Thomas' men's team following at 8:00 PM against the NWP Wolves. Winning these games will move both teams onto the ACA Final Four, while the women's team have a berth to Nationals locked up as the tournament host.
Additionally, our volleyball teams are on the road for their respective ACAC Championships Feb. 22-24. The men are in Olds, where they face Briercrest at 8:00 PM on Thursday, following the women beginning their title defence in Lethbridge against the hosts at 6:00 PM. Both events are available on ACAC TV.
Curling is also off to the Championships, hosted by SAIT at the Airdrie Curling Club Feb. 23-25. The men return to playoff action for the first time since 2020, while the mixed team are trying to win their third straight title.
Finally, women's hockey hold their final regular season game on Saturday against the NAIT Ooks, one that will have massive implications in the standings. If the Rustlers can earn one point between Friday's road tilt and Saturday's home game, they will lock up first place and host the SAIT Trojans on March 1 in the ACAC Semi-finals.