LLOYDMINSTER, Alta. – A Saturday showdown that features the top two teams in the country.
The Lambton Women's Basketball Program, the 2024 OCAA Gold Medalists, will take on the Lakeland Rustlers, the 2024 ACAC Gold Medalists and the host school, in the Gold Medal Game at the 2024 CCAA Women's Basketball National Championships in Lloydminster, Alberta.
During the regular season, the Lions posted a record of 14-2 overall, and they won the program's first-ever OCAA Championship in Women's Basketball back on Sunday, March 3rd. This is the first time that the Lambton Women's Basketball Program has competed in the National Tournament, and they enter the Gold Medal Game as the top-ranked team on their side of the bracket.
On the other side, the Rustlers have an unblemished record to their name this season. They went a perfect 20-0 during the regular season in the ACAC North Division, and rode that momentum to an ACAC Gold Medal in the post-season. The hometown favourites ended the regular season as the top-ranked team in the country, a position that they held for seven straight weeks from January 16th through to the end of the season.
Tipoff on Saturday night is set for 6:00 p.m. MST / 8:00 p.m. EST. The game can be streamed online through Vidflex here.
How They Got Here
The Lions have yet to lose in the 2024 calendar year, and they are riding a 13-game winning streak into the National Championship Game. In their National debut on Wednesday afternoon, the Lions overcame a slow start to pick up a 76-67 win over The King's University Eagles to advance to the semifinals. From there, the Lions used a big fourth quarter to overcome the Geants de Saint-Jean in their Thursday semi-final, 62-47, to punch their ticket to the Gold Medal Game.
Breanna Pretty (Sarnia, Ont.) had a game-high 21 points to go along with eight rebounds in the win. Guard Maddy Bishop (Windsor, Ont.) had 13 points while Avery Bathe-Minard (Sarnia, Ont.), who was named Player of the Game for the Lions, had 12 points and four rebounds off the bench.
Nationally, the Lions were ranked eighth in the final instalment of the CCAA National Rankings, which were released prior to the conference championships. The Lions were placed in the A1 spot at the National Championships to sit atop their half of the bracket. They were one of just two teams ranked inside the top 10 to win their respective conference championship (Lakeland; 1st).
The Rustlers come into Saturday's Gold Medal Game without a loss on their record this season. The hosts picked up a 96-55 win over the Okanagan College Coyotes in their CCAA Quarter-Final Game. Then, in the Semifinals on Thursday, the Rustlers started strong and held on in the fourth quarter for a 10-point win over the Champlain Saint-Lambert Cavaliers, 64-54.
How They Stack Up
Here’s a look at how the teams stack up against one another in terms of statistics from the regular season:
| Lambton Lions | Lakeland Rustlers | |
|---|---|---|
| 73.3 | PTS/GM (OFF) | 77.8 |
| 48.9 | PTS/GM (DEF) | 52.0 |
| 37.6 | FG % | 36.9 |
| 28.0 | 3PT % | 23.6 |
| 73.5 | FT % | 63.4 |
| 50.3 | REB/GM | 46.0 |
| 18.1 | AST/GM | 18.2 |
| 16.0 | STL/GM | 13.6 |
Players To Watch
Lambton Lions: Maddy Bishop (10.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 spg; 24.1% FG over two games at the 2024 CCAA Women's Basketball National Championships)
While many eyes will be on the All-Canadian match-up of Lambton's Pretty and Lakeland's Hineaupounamu Nuku, this contest has all the makings of a statement game from the third-year guard from Windsor. In front of a hostile home crowd for the Rustlers, this is the type of environment that Bishop thrives under, and it could lead to a standout performance on both ends of the floor.
While she has been quiet offensively by her own standard through two games on the national stage, Bishop is a threat to go off at any point with her quickness in the back court and her shooting ability. During the regular season, Bishop was third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.9 points per game while shooting 31.3% from the field and 30.3% from three point range. She closed the regular season with double-digit points in five of her final six games, and she's had another four double-digit scoring efforts in the post-season.
Lakeland Rustlers: Hineaupounamu Nuku (11.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.0 spg; 23.7% FG, 35.7% 3PT over two games at the 2024 CCAA Women's Basketball National Championships)
Nuku had herself quite the debut season in the ACAC for the Rustlers. The first-year guard from New Zealand was named both the ACAC North Division Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year, and that turned into a CCAA All-Canadian Award and ultimately being named the 2023-24 CCAA Player of the Year.
On the national stage, Nuku was her usual self against the Coyotes in the quarters, but her shot struggled in the semifinals vs. the Cavaliers. Nuku went 0-for-13 from the field against Champlain Saint-Lambert while committing seven turnovers. The Rustlers have a balanced offensive attack and a roster that runs 12-deep, but the play of Nuku will likely have a big impact on Saturday's outcome.
Last Meeting
This marks the first-ever meeting between the Lions and Rustlers.
For more information, or for any media inquiries within Lambton College Athletics, please contact:
Tyler Bennett
Lambton College Sports Information & Marketing Coordinator
tyler.bennett@lambtoncollege.ca