Time is running out for teams to book their spots in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference basketball playoffs, and the Medicine Hat Rattlers women have a chance to eliminate one name from the barrel this weekend.
The Rattlers are in Red Deer tonight and tomorrow to face the Queens, who at 6-7 are six points back of a spot with seven games left to play.
If the conference final-host Rattlers can sweep Red Deer this weekend, that’s one less team in the mix.
At 8-6, Medicine Hat is technically fourth in the South Division but has the host spot regardless, meaning a top-three spot is necessary. That’s currently held down by Lethbridge at 9-7, while St. Mary’s is 10-5 and Olds is 11-1.
Medicine Hat beat Red Deer 71-70 back in November so nobody’s expecting an easy weekend. And with captain Morgan Muir out of the lineup last weekend, other players are stepping up.
Katelyn Rozdeba has had double-doubles in every game since returning from injury, while Rhiannon Ware had a stellar game in last Saturday’s win over Ambrose.
On the men’s side, Medicine Hat at 2-12 will likely be eliminated from contention this weekend, needing to win its last six games plus have a dozen other things happen to finish in the top-four. At 6-7 the Red Deer Kings are fifth, two points back of both Ambrose and Briercrest in the race for the last spot.
