By Medicine Hat News on February 22, 2020.
The Medicine Hat College Rattlers women’s basketball team got back into the win column Friday with a 62-56 victory over the SAIT Trojans. Medicine Hat had to fight to end a three-game losing skid, trailing for most of the first half before turning the tide in the second. At Calgary, point guard Rhiannon Ware had 16 points and six rebounds in the win, while Tatiana Dutka added 14 points and six rebounds herself. The team improved to 10-10 and will close out the regular season at home to SAIT Saturday, 6 p.m. at the Snake Pit. Rachel Osczevski led the Trojans with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Richina Foggo also had a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards. At 5-13, SAIT won’t make the playoffs, which are hosted by the Rattlers starting Feb. 28. Men’s basketball Later Friday at SAIT, the Trojans men’s team beat the Rattlers 94-65. Kieron Burgess racked up yet another double-double for Medicine Hat, 25 points and 11 rebounds, while David Kent-Canalejo added 11 points as the team fell to 4-16. Charlie Conner and Calvin Chambers led SAIT with 17 points apiece, each adding eight rebounds as their team improved to 14-4. Taliik Ross (16 points, 17 rebounds) and Gemie Muya (15 points, 14 rebounds) also played key roles. They’re locked in at second place in the South, while Medicine Hat will finish its season at home as the seventh-place team Saturday night, 8 p.m. Women’s volleyball The women’s volleyball team lost its ninth match in a row, 3-0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-20) in Red Deer. Brooke Christie led the Rattlers with nine kills and seven digs. Erin Neufedlt of the Queens led all players with 13 kills, and added eight digs. Medicine Hat finishes the regular season Saturday in Red Deer, looking for a bit of momentum before hosting conference championships next weekend. At 8-15 they’re tied for fourth in the South Division with Lethbridge, but have a bye into the playoffs. Red Deer improved to 20-3, second in the South. Men’s volleyball The Rattlers men took a set off the top team in the division but no more, falling 3-1 (25-14, 22-25, 25-16, 25-22) to the Red Deer Kings. It was a big night for the team’s trio of Serbian players, as Jovan Stepanovic had 11 kills, Aleksa Zivic eight and setter Nikola Sreckovic a team-high six digs. But the host side got 21 kills from Patrik Toze and 16 from Carter Hills in improving to 19-4. Medicine Hat, now 6-17, will finish its season in Saturday’s rematch, 16 points back of the fourth and final playoff spot. 20