Szymanek and Queens employ stifling defence, drop Rattlers at RDC

Brent Forster - RDC

Red Deer, AB – The Red Deer College Queens' strong defensive performance was just too much for the Medicine Hat College Rattlers to overcome. Limiting the Rattlers to 13 points in the second half, the Queens picked up a 65-39 victory.

The RDC Queens had a good start, taking a seven point edge after the first quarter (16-9). The visitors responded over the next ten minute frame. The Rattlers outscored the Queens 17-14 and trailed by only four at the break (26-30).

"We had a little bit of jitters initially," says Queens Head Coach Mandy Botham.

The home team quickly settled down and controlled the game.

Fort St. John's Britney Peters led the RDC offence with 10 points at the break. Lauren Cardinal, a third-year Bachelor of Kinesiology student, had eight.

Peters (11)

Medicine Hat College's Morgan Muir contributed eight points at the half. Rhiannon Ware and Katelyn Rozdeba totaled six each.

Over two quarters, the Queens hit 34.2 per cent of their shots from the field. The Rattlers connected on 29.4 per cent of their field goal attempts.

After the Queens held a slight 34-33 edge in the third quarter, the home team went on a 14-0 run. Amy Szymanek had eight points during that stretch. RDC led 50-35 after three quarters.

The Red Deer College Queens tacked on 15 points in the fourth. The Rattlers responded with four and the Queens solidified a 65-39 decision.

"I thought we played a really good second half. Our defence was really effective shutting down their bigs inside," says Botham. "We improved on our rebounding from the first half."

Amy Szymanek was named the Collegiate Sports Medicine Queens Player-of-the-Game. The five-foot nine guard contributed 14 points, five rebounds, three steals and one assist. She hit six-of-12 from the field and went two-for-two from the free-throw line in 17 minutes.

"Amy is the kind of athlete who brings her work ethic and good attitude - she's a good teammate and a leader every single night," explains Botham. "She's coming off a really serious ankle injury that kept her from getting her usual minutes, in all games previous to tonight. It was good to see her get back to her old self and get that confidence back."

There were a lot of learning opportunities in the first half that will help in the push for the playoffs.

"The things that we've been building on as far as culture and work ethic, we knew our first semester schedule was a really tough one. I thought we did really well, considering the teams we played," says Botham.

"We knew we had to come into the second semester fully prepared to take care of business and make a push for the playoffs. It's good to see that confidence transfer to them during the game and right through our lineup. Players one through eleven were all able to contribute which is a good thing." 

After the Rattlers held the advantage on the boards over two quarters, the Queens finished with a 48-44 edge. Lauren Cardinal had nine rebounds. Valentina Rincon contributed eight.

Katelyn Rozdeba received the top player award for the Rattlers, finishing with 12 points, eight rebounds and four steals. She was perfect from the free-throw line.

The RDC Queens shot 44.4 per cent from the field, 22.2 from beyond the arc and 46.7 from the line. 

The Rattlers went 21.2 per cent from the field, 25 from three and 100 from the free-throw line. 

With the win, the Queens share fifth spot in the south with the Briercrest College Clippers (7-7). The Rattlers (8-7) sit in fourth, but have played one more game. 

On Saturday, the RDC Queens (7-7)  and Medicine Hat College Rattlers (8-7) will meet again at 1:00 pm at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.

Youth HQ

RDC student-athletes and teams volunteer countless hours throughout Red Deer and surrounding communities. Continuing to grow community connections, Youth HQ was at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre Friday evening, raising awareness about their services while seeking volunteers. Youth HQ empowers children and youth to develop confidence and skills for life through knowledge, healthy relationships and quality experiences.

Growing the game

During intermission, the Terrace Ridge Girl's team faced the Poplar Ridge Girl's team in a fun head-to-head shooting contest. The potential future Queens were able to watch their mentors compete against the Rattlers in an entertaining Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) contest.

Celebrating success in RDC Athletics

Following the Queens' and Rattlers' game, the RDC Cross Country and Kings Soccer teams were recognized at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre. The Kings Cross Country squad won ACAC gold and Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) bronze, which was the first time in Kings Cross Country history. The Queens captured ACAC silver. The RDC Kings Soccer team earned ACAC silver and finished sixth at nationals.