Turnovers cost Trojans
CALGARY, (Feb. 16, 2019) — The SAIT Trojans women's basketball team had the game in-hand. Until they didn't.
Up one point with six seconds left on the clock and possession of the ball, a surprising turnover resulted in a game-winning basket going the other way in a 58-57 loss to the country's No. 4 ranked team, the Medicine Hat College Rattlers.
"When you look at 37 turnovers, especially 19 in the second half – that's the big picture," said Trojans head coach Bir Parmar. "The ones we made early don't seem that important, but it adds to the whole pile of little things that we did wrong tonight."
SAIT falls to 5-15. The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association's (CCAA) fourth-ranked Rattlers improve to 17-3.
"For us to be able to put together that kind of game and be at there at the end, you can't blame lack of effort," stated Parmar, whose team won three of four quarters played.
SAIT started off well enough, leading by two after one quarter, and extending the lead to 12 at the half, 36-24.
But, Parmar knew the Rattlers were coming after the break.
And they did, to the tune of a 23-5 run in the quarter to take a six-point lead into the final 10 minutes of play.
But instead of folding up their tents, the Trojans found a way to come back and cut the lead to one a few times before finally taking a 57-56 lead with 41 seconds left.
"At this point of the season, our girls have very little to play for, except pride, but we didn't pack it in," said Parmar. "They competed all the way to the end."
With six seconds left, and about to inbound the ball from half court, the Trojans did the one thing they didn't want to do – turn over the ball.
When they did, it went into the hands of former Trojan, Kendell Kuntz, who ran in untouched and scored with two seconds left to win the game.
Kuntz led the Rattlers with 17 points. Martina Allen (5th year, Calgary, Bachelor of Business Administration) led the Trojans with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
SAIT, out of playoff contention, will play their final game of the season next weekend when they host the Ambrose University Lions at 6pm.