Capers end the season strong, defeating the Huskies 57-41

Sydney, NS - The last regular season game was an exciting one for the Cape Breton University Capers (13-7), as their seniors led them to victory against the Saint Mary's Huskies (15-5) in Atlantic University Sport women's basketball action Saturday evening at the Sullivan Field House. 

In their last home games as Capers, Natasha Roach (Roxboro, QC), Colleen Keane (Scarborough, ON) and Jalynn Skeir (Halifax, NS) led the way, sending their team into the AUS Championship with a big win. 

The Huskies started off the game where they left off yesterday, opening the game with a 9-2 run, which included a big corner three pointer by Courtney Cain-Nordin (Halifax, NS). The Capers were resilient, and went on an even more impressive 12-0 run, giving them a 14-9 lead after the opening 10 minutes of play.

Saint Mary's managed to tie up the game multiple times in the second, but could never regain the lead. Jalynn Skeir lead the Capers on a second scoring streak, scoring seven points in the quarter, including a three pointer which sparked a 9-1 run for the Capers. This gave them a 27-19 lead going into the half. 

During halftime, the Cape Breton University Capers retired the #13 jersey of Karolyne Blain (Sudbury, ON), who spent five seasons with the Capers women's soccer team. 

The Capers continued their momentum into the second half. Alison Keough (Marion Bridge, NS) and Hannah Brown (North Sydney, NS) both had strong quarters, scoring five points each, helping CBU outscore SMU 21-10 in the third quarter. 

Both teams stepped up their defense in the fourth. The seniors for the Capers got lots of playing time in the final quarter, all three nearly playing the entire 10 minutes. It was a great moment, as Jalynn Skeir checked out of the game for the final time at home as a Caper with 2:08 left, followed by Natasha Roach and Colleen Keane with 57 seconds left. All three players were met at the bench with hugs by all their teammates and a loud cheer from everyone in the Field House. 

For the Huskies, Kennisha-Shanice Luberisse (Montreal, QC) scored 11 points, while also grabbing four rebounds and a steal. Katrina Murrell (Markham, ON) came off the bench to score nine points with three rebounds and an assist. 

The Capers were led by their senior players. Jalynn Skeir got a game-high 16 points, including three buckets from behind the line. Colleen Keane added 12 points and 12 rebounds, giving her a double-double.  

The Capers and The Huskies will both be heading to AUS Championship at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax from March 3-5th.