The Vanier College Lady Cheetahs captured their second consecutive AAA provincial title in front of their home crowd on March 2.
(Photo: Martin Alarie)
AAA Provincial Basketball Championships at Vanier College
March Madness is here early
During the February 29 to March 2 week-end, Vanier College hosted the AAA Men and Women’s Provincial Basketball Championships and just like the NCAA’s March Madness tournament, the atmosphere was completely wild. Vanier women’s team was even able to capture the title in a thrilling game against Collège Montmorency.
The Lady Cheetahs had a bye for the preliminary round held on Friday as the team finished first in the regular season. On Saturday, they dominated their opponents from Collège Édouard-Montpetit and eventually beat them 84-70. Marie-Ève Martin had a huge game, scoring 27 points, while four other Lady Cheetahs scored in the double digits. This win set up a final showdown between Vanier and the second-best team in the league, Collège Montmorency.
The game was close all along, but during the third quarter, the Lady Cheetahs were able to build a comfortable lead. However, the women of Collège Montmorency managed to mount a comeback, which was in the end held off by the home team. The Lady Cheetahs finally prevailed with a stirring 66-60 victory before a boisterous home crowd on this Sunday afternoon. Anneth Him-Lazarenko was named player of the game, while Marie-Ève Martin, who contributed 20 points in the finals, earned the tournament’s most valuable player honor. This was Coach Ruby Viray and the Lady Cheetahs second consecutive provincial title.
Vanier women’s team is presently defending its national title at the Canadian National Basketball Championships which is being held at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro until March 16.
Men’s team stopped short in quarterfinals
On Friday evening, the AAA Men’s Basketball Cheetahs’ season ended after a close 73-68 loss to the Édouard-Montpetit Lynx. The men fought back from a ten-point deficit in the fourth quarter to reduce the lead to one before the Lynx pulled away for the win. Anaclet Mulumba Mbayi earned player-of-the-Game honors with a 10 point – 12 rebound performance. Hernst Laroche, who was named to the league’s First All-Star team, netted 11 points to go along with 5 assists and 3 steals.
At the League Awards Banquet held on March 1, Anneth Him-Lazarenko and Marie-Ève Martin were named members of both the league’s First All-Star Team and the All-Canadian Team. Fellow Lady Cheetah Arianne Duchesne was named to the Second All-Star Team. Also at the banquet, Julie Manacas and Mike Flannery received Academic Awards for their outstanding scholastic results.
(Photo: Martin Alarie)
(Photo: Martin Alarie)
(Photo: Martin Alarie)
(Photo: Martin Alarie)
Météo: Montréal, 9 juillet 2008 / 23°C
/ Faibles averses de pluie
/ Vents: 28 Km/h / Humidité relative: 89 % 
par Pascal LeBlanc 
Voir toutes les photos
Steven Guilbeault - 
