Rustlers win North/South battle vs RDP

In their toughest test of the year so far, Lakeland women's basketball showed why they are the top team in the country.

The Rustlers were facing the defending champion Queens, who came into the matchup tied with Lethbridge for first in the South Division. The two teams met back in October for exhibition games, both won comfortably by Lakeland. In the first quarter, RDP's size and athleticism pushed the top ranked hosts, allowing the Queens a 20-14 lead. Lakeland bounced back in the second defensively, holding Red Deer to just 8 points and building a 40-28 lead at the half.

That was all the hosts needed to stay in control for the rest of the contest, as they slowly but surely increased their lead over the third quarter and had a solid cushion to last a late comeback by the Queens. Final score was 61-52.

Jaden Cook was Player of the Game with 6 points and 8 rebounds, while Susan Ayaa led the team with 12 points. Henna Sibhu had a game high 14 points for RDP

The Rustlers are back in action tomorrow night for the last regular season tilt of 2024. It's also Senior Night, where 5th year players Jadeon Cook, Hailey Somers and Ally Pilgrim will be recognized for their time with the program. Tip off is 6:00 PM at the Lakeland Gymnasium.