Ater a solid season start with one win against Ambrose University and one close loss against Lethbridge Polytechnic, the Ooks women’s basketball team had a dominant 29-point homeopener victory on Oct. 30. They won against St. Mary’s University in convincing fashion with a final score of 75-46.
Ruka Araki, an Ooks rookie from Ritto, Japan in NAIT’s English Second Language program, won player of the game for her “electric performance.” The guard made 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Araki celebrates with her team on Oct. 30 after a big win. Photos by Ana Kostyrko/The Nugget
The Ooks sought to continue their momentum at home against the 3-1 SAIT Trojans on Oct. 31, but fell short. Here’s how the Halloween game went down.
To start the first half, Ooks veteran center Laila Wright was on fire; the fifth-year Respiratory Therapy student scored five out of the first seven points for the Ooks in the first six minutes.
Wright celebrates after winning against St. Mary’s University on Oct. 30. Despite a loss the following evening, Wright had a dominant performance against the Trojans. Photos by Ana Kostyrko/The Nugget
But it was the Trojans who took control in the first quarter. They outscored the Ooks 12-6 in the first six minutes. Kyler Varga of the Trojans was responsible for six of the Trojans’ 12 points. The Ooks didn’t go away quietly in the first, though. They clawed their way back during the rest of the quarter and took the lead. After the first, it was 15-14 for the Ooks, and Wright dropped 10 points in the first to bring the Ooks up one point going into the second quarter.
It didn’t stop Wright from continuing her dominant performance.
To start the second quarter, the Trojans had a strong start. They outscored the Ooks 20-10 in the first six minutes of the second quarter. During that time frame, the Trojans were on an 11-0 run. Keneisha Nepinak of SAIT scored four points during this run for a total of six points in the game to this point. But the Ooks climbed their way back once again with some huge plays from Araki and point guard Dior Sellars. The Ooks ended the quarter on a 9-0 run and were only down two at the conclusion of the half. The score at halftime was 36-34 for the Trojans. Wright had an amazing half, dropping 14 points.
Left: Sellars, a third-years business student, scored five points on the Oct. 31 game. Right: Head coach Kiera Lyons talks to the Ooks. Photos by Ash Wijesinghe/The Nugget
The Ooks had a strong start in the third quarter. They went on an 8-0 run during the beginning of the quarter. But the Trojans fought back, and it was a lot of back and forth for the majority of the third. Despite this, it didn’t stop Wright from continuing her dominant performance. She ended up with 19 points at the conclusion of the third. It was a one-possession game going into the final regulation quarter. The score was 53-51 when the third quarter ended.
The fourth quarter was a tightly contested one from both sides — there was zero breathing room for either team all the way down to the final buzzer. But the Trojans ultimately closed it out, winning with a final score of 73-67. However, the Ooks had a few great individual performances. Wright dropped 19 points and guard Devyn Rasmuson dropped 16 points.
Rasmuson, an Ooks rookie taking Business Administration, makes plays against SAIT on Oct. 31. Photos by Ash Wijesinghe/The Nugget
Player of the game for the Ooks was awarded to Paige Cooper, a fifth-year Dental Technology student. “Coming off the bench, she showed leadership and her IQ with a solid all-around game,” wrote the NAIT Ooks women’s basketball team on an Instagram post. Cooper dropped 10 points and two rebounds during her performance.
The Ooks will get nearly two weeks of rest as their next game is on Nov. 13 against the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens.
Feature image: Paige Cooper makes an entrance before the Oct. 30 game. Photo by Ana Kostyrko/The Nugget
