Weekend Recap: Bumps in the road for Kodiaks basketball

The Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks basketball teams travelled north to take on the Keyano College Huskies and the Lakeland College Rustlers this weekend. Both men’s and women’s teams were winless against some of the top-ranked teams in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association.

Women’s basketball:

Nov. 22 WBB | Kodiaks 35 vs Keyano College Huskies 60

The game started slowly for both teams, with neither side able to establish much offence early on. Lethbridge's defense kept them in the game, but they struggled to find any rhythm offensively. The Kodiaks turned the ball over a few times, which allowed Keyano to capitalize and build a small lead. Despite some defensive stops by Halle Aleman (first year, Open Studies, Lethbridge), the Kodiaks couldn’t get much going on the other end. By the end of the first quarter, they trailed 17-7. The Kodiaks continued to struggle in the second quarter as their offense remained stagnant. Though they showed effort defensively, they couldn’t string together enough possessions to make a comeback. A few missed shots and turnovers handed Keyano fast-break opportunities, leading to easy baskets. Keyano's defense was stifling, preventing the Kodiaks from finding good looks. By halftime, the score stood at 35-17, as the Kodiaks failed to break through Keyano’s pressure on both ends of the floor.

Despite facing a sizable deficit in the second half, the Kodiaks showed resilience on both ends of the court. Annah Westrop (fourth year, General Arts and Science, Lethbridge) got the quarter started strong with an early jump shot that energized the team. Courtney Deemter (fourth year, Bachelor of Nursing, Calgary), continuing her strong play in the paint, pulled down crucial rebounds and battled for second-chance opportunities to keep the Kodiaks in the game with a score of 48-27 at the end of the third. In the final quarter the Kodiaks refused to back down and started to chip away at the Huskies' lead. The Kodiaks also saw flashes of brilliance on offense, including several solid passing sequences and improved movement without the ball. Gaby Power (third year, Early Childhood Education, Calgary) and the Kodiaks’ shooters got some good looks at three-pointers. Paighton Kumson (second year, Correctional Studies, Edmonton) had some new energy for the team late in the game with a steal and a few points, but the clock ran down before too much damage was done, and the game finished in favour of the Huskies 60-35.

Kodiaks Player of the Game: #6 Paighton Kumson

Nov. 23 WBB | Kodiaks 52 vs Lakeland College Rustlers 78

The Kodiaks struggled to find their rhythm at the start of the game as Lakeland College was setting the pace. Bailey Blackmore (first year, Bachelor of Nursing, Magrath) and Power fought to keep things close. The Kodiaks' defense was strong at times, with Westrop grabbing key rebounds. However, the Kodiaks were unable to capitalize on offensive opportunities, with several missed shots. The first quarter ended with a challenging deficit for the Kodiaks at 26-9. The second quarter continued in a similar vein, with Lakeland College dominating both offensively and defensively. The Kodiaks showed brief flashes of offensive execution, including a couple of solid plays from Deemter, who scored back-to-back layups, and Layla Vaz (first year, Open Studies, Raymond), who was able to convert a few points. However, Lakeland's pressure kept the Kodiaks from gaining any sustained momentum, and the half ended at 44-24.

The Kodiaks came out of halftime looking to mount a comeback, but the deficit continued to grow in the third quarter. Deemter led the charge offensively, but the Kodiaks struggled to convert on their opportunities. As Lakeland College continued to pour in points, the gap was getting bigger. Despite strong individual efforts, the Kodiaks found themselves trailing by a significant margin at the end of the third quarter, 66-35. The Kodiaks started the fourth quarter with some hope thanks to strong efforts from the likes of Vaz and Blackmore, who scored crucial points for the Kodiaks. However, they struggled with turnovers and failed to generate consistent offensive pressure. The Kodiaks' defensive efforts were not enough to slow the Rustlers down as the game concluded with a final score of 78-52.

Kodiaks Player of the Game: #3 Layla Vaz

Men’s basketball:

Nov. 22 MBB | Kodiaks 66 vs Keyano College Huskies 82

The Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks struggled to find their rhythm against Keyano College, and they fell behind early. Despite some strong defensive plays, including several rebounds from Cody Tollestrup (second year, General Arts and Science, Magrath), the Kodiaks were unable to close the gap as the Huskies extended their lead. By the end of the first quarter, Keyano was up 25-13 over the Kodiaks. In the second quarter, the Kodiaks showed brief signs of life, with Hayden Many Grey Horses (first year, Academic Upgrading, Pincher Creek) converting on some layups. However, the Kodiaks struggled with turnovers and missed opportunities while Keyano capitalized on nearly every possession. Despite a few bright moments from the Kodiaks, including jump shots made, Keyano's offensive firepower proved too much, and the second half ended with a score of 42-24.

In the third quarter, the Kodiaks struggled to close the gap as Keyano extended their lead. Despite some solid individual plays, the Kodiaks had difficulty with ball control and defense. Ryan Degner (fourth year, Open Studies, Lethbridge) had multiple offensive plays that converted which gave the Kodiaks some hope, but the Huskies continued to apply pressure which led to turnovers by the Kodiaks. Keyano led 63-41 after three quarters.

The Kodiaks were still within reach going into the fourth quarter and they managed to score in spurts, with some nice free throws from Rylan Adrian (second year, Massage Therapy, Lethbridge). But the Kodiaks continued to struggle with ball movement, which allowed Keyano to capitalize on their mistakes. The game ended with an 82-66 loss for the Kodiaks.

Kodiaks Player of the Game: #10 Ryan Degner 

Nov. 23 MBB | Kodiaks 78 vs Lakeland College Rustlers 97

The game began with a close back-and-forth between the Kodiaks and Rustlers. Early baskets from Degner and Many Grey Horses, and a clutch layup by Coleson Lake (fourth year, Business Administration, Eagle, Idaho) helped keep the Kodiaks competitive but they struggled to find consistent scoring. After a dramatic back-and-forth, both teams went into the second quarter tied 19-19.

The second quarter saw the Kodiaks take charge, with pivotal performances from several players. They surged ahead with a three-pointer from Rhett Lewis (second year, General Arts and Science, Cardston) and a layup by Levi Balderson (first year, General Arts and Science, Welling, Alta.). The Rustlers managed to find a new rhythm and regained a slight lead, 49-41, by the end of the half.

The Kodiaks started the second half strong, with Lewis scoring a quick. However, Lakeland answered back with a series of three-pointers. The Kodiaks remained aggressive but each time they tried to close the gap, the Rustlers responded with quick counters. Treyton Barton (third year, General Arts and Science, Raymond) contributed to multiple offensive plays that kept the momentum alive. As the quarter progressed, the Kodiaks battled back and forth, but missed shots and turnovers slowed their rhythm, and they ended the third quarter trailing 73-62. Going into the fourth quarter the Kodiaks were determined to close the gap, with Lewis hitting a free throw early on to get the team on the board. Lake had a strong presence, scoring several layups, but despite their efforts, the Kodiaks continued to struggle against Lakeland's offensive depth. The Kodiaks could not recover from their deficit and the game ended with Lethbridge falling 97-78.

Kodiaks Player of the Game: #12 Rhett Lewis