WBB| Kodiaks Host Lions in the First Home Games of 2020
Jan. 18, 2020- The Kodiaks were back in-home action prepared to take on the Ambrose Lions for the second time this weekend.
The Kodiaks had an advantage coming in today's game as they came out with a huge 66-41 win against the Lions the night before. The Kodiaks looked to come out passionate with a high motivation to win this game.
The Kodiaks picked up where they left off as they took an immediate 8-0 lead forcing Lion's coach Gerard Brand to call a timeout early in the game. The Kodiaks did not stop, they continued to score and created a 17-0 lead. The Lions were in foul trouble as they were already on the bonus with four minutes left in the quarter. Kristen Barwegen and Matlin MacMurray from the Kodiaks came out to play as Kristen poured seven points and Matlin six points through the first quarter. The Kodiaks kept their composure and took a 25-3 lead to end the first quarter.
The story was the same for the Kodiaks as they kept their heads locked in and played great basketball. The Lions, on the other hand, came out more aggressive and stronger in the defensive end. Both teams were a lot more reliant on their defense as there was not much scoring happening during the first quarter. The Lions tried answering the Kodiaks dominant drives to the hoop, but the Broncos were not able to convert on many of their field goals. The score of the second quarter ended 40-15 in favour of the Kodiaks.
The Lions used their halftime break to regroup with the purpose to come out strong in the second half. They came out energized with three straight baskets by three different players. This forced Kodiak's coach Deanna Simpson to call an immediate timeout. Lions kept their cool as Avery Deighton started heating up with five straight points. The Kodiaks fought back with a small run of their own extending their lead by 21 points.
Lions kept fighting on the offensive end as Dora Tasovic converted back to back three-pointers, but they could not stop the Kodiaks on their defensive end. The third quarter ended with a score of 58-38 in favour of the Kodiaks.
The Kodiaks would come out strong as Natalie Hoyt drained a three-pointer to get the fans going. The Broncos immediately answered with back to back baskets of their own. The game heated up as the Broncos kept looking for more answers in the offensive end. However, the Kodiaks kept their defensive consistency and did not let the Broncos make a run of their own. The score difference remained about the same throughout the fourth quarter as the game ended with a final score of 70-52 in favour of the Kodiaks.
After one entertaining game, Dora Tasovic of Ambrose finished the game with 12 points as Matlin McMurray finished with 18 points.
The Kodiaks host the Red Deer Queens next weekend in another two-game slate at the Val Matteotti gym.
Players of the Game:
Lions: #12 Dora Tasovic
Kodiaks: #04 Matlin McMurray