The Martlet

After three games in three days at the Cougar Classic in Regina, SK, the Vikes women’s basketball team came home with a 2-1 preseason record.

The tournament saw Vikes fourth-year forward Kayla Dykstra pick up right where she left off after a 2008-2009 CIS MVP season, averaging 17 points and 8.3 rebounds over the course of the three games. In the opener on Friday, Oct. 16, against the Lethbridge Pronghorns, Dykstra was a dominating force in the paint, scoring 22 points to go with 12 rebounds and two blocked shots, carrying the team down the stretch.

With the game tied 45-45 going into the final quarter, Dykstra scored 10 points in the final frame, including two key free throws in the final minute. Vikes won 65-61.

Second-year point guard Debbie Yeboah came up big in the Lethbridge game, scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds, despite often being the shortest player on the court at 5’6”. Yeboah, a native of Winnipeg, turned in a stellar performance in the whole tournament, averaging 11.7 points, four rebound and four assists per game.

The second day of the tournament featured Dykstra going head to head with host Regina Cougars star forward Britanny Read. Heralded as a matchup between Canada’s top two post players, Read got the better of Dykstra, scoring 30 points and pulling down 13 rebounds to Dykstra’s 15 and nine, respectively.

The post match-up proved key to the game, as the Cougars came away with a resounding 81-65 win.

Carmen Lapthorne, making her debut for the Vikes after an All-Canadian season at Camosun, dropped 10 points off the bench in the loss. Lapthorne was accurate from beyond the arc throughout the tournament, shooting 43 per cent on three-point attempts, providing the spark that coaches look for in the sixth man.

In the final game, the Vikes had five players score in the double-digits in a 78-45 thrashing over the Brandon Bobcats. Dykstra led the way with 14, while Yeboah pitched in 13. Jane Anholt dropped 11, and Vanessa Forstbauer and Natalie Janssens scored 10 apiece. The game was such a blow out that coach Brian Cheng was able to rest his star, Dykstra, for the entire second half.

Yeboah was again all over the court, dishing out eight assists and forcing three turnovers. Janssens, the 6’3” heir-apparent to Dykstra, saw extended playing time as the Vikes rested their star.

The second-year Surrey native pitched in six rebounds and a block to go with her scoring.

The Vikes have their home-opener on Friday, Oct. 23, as the annual Guy Vetrie Tournament kicks off (for both men’s and women’s teams) at Mackinnon Gym. The Vikes start with a 4 p.m. game on Friday against Windsor before playing games on Saturday and Sunday.