Capers headed to semifinals after close game with Sea-Hawks

(HALIFAX, N.S.) - The Cape Breton Capers (4th seed) locked in a trip to the semis after a 83-79 win over the Memorial Sea-Hawks (5th seed) on Friday afternoon. 

Subway player of the game Chermensa van la Parra (Rotterdam, Netherlands) led the way with 25 points, five rebounds and a pair of three-pointers. The rookie was instrumental in the Capers coming out strong in the fourth quarter with a run of nine points. 

The Capers jumped out to an early lead, but the Sea-Hawks kept pace with a 10-point run to keep the score close throughout the first quarter where the teams scored 22 points each.

MacKenzee Ryan (Glace Bay, N.S.) found the basket early and often for the Capers, with nine points in the first quarter, part of a 16-point game for the fourth-year guard.

AUS rookie of the year and first team all-star Kiyara Letlow (Toronto, Ont.) hit a three-point jump shot for the Capers midway through the second quarter as her team picked up momentum. Letlow finished the game with 22 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for the Capers.  

The Sea-Hawks kept it close, with four successful layups from rookie guard Alyssa Jenkins (St.John’s, Nfld.) in the second quarter to give her team a 37-35 lead at half. Jenkins was named the Subway player of the game for Memorial, with 16 points and seven rebounds. 

Cape Breton turned the ball over nine times in the first half, with the Sea-Hawks capitalizing with seven points off the turnovers. Fourth-year guard Inés Salat Margarit (Barcelona, Spain) led the way with three steals for Memorial in the half. 

Letlow was dominant in the paint in the third quarter, drawing fouls, finishing the day making three of four shots from the free throw line. Drawing fouls was key for the Capers in a 20-point quarter, giving CBU a 55-50 lead after three quarters. 

Sea-Hawks first team all-star Alana Short (Barrie, Ont.) led a late push with 16 points in the final quarter as Memorial added 29 points in the fourth. The third-year guard finished the afternoon with a game-high 32 points. 

The Capers will take on the first-seed UPEI Panthers in the semifinal Saturday, March 19 at 1 p.m. The Panthers secured their spot in the next round after a 69-50 win over Dalhousie on Thursday.

Watch every game of the 2022 Subway AUS Basketball Championships on AUStv.ca. Single session tickets are available via Ticket Atlantic.

Recap by Jonathan Briggins