NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat College Rattler Fred Kabore goes up for a contested layup in the first quarter of the Rattlers 86-71 win over the Ambrose Lions Friday night at the Big Marble Go Centre.
The Medicine Hat College Rattlers showed no signs of Holiday rust Friday night.
The Rattlers beat the visiting Ambrose Lions 86-71 for the college’s first win of their Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference season in their first game back from the Holiday break.
Head coach Richard Humphrey says the victory was long overdue for the Rattlers.
“It was overdue, we’ve been losing which is learning so, ’bout time,” Humphrey said.
Kieron Burgess led the way for the Rattlers with 21 points and 14 rebounds while shooting 8 for 14 and making three of four 3-pointers.
Medicine Hat was 0-6 heading into the Holiday break in early December. Humphrey said he expected them to play as hard as they did coming out of the break.
“We learned some lessons, started realizing we have to play hard every day,” Humphrey said. “That’s what they’ve been doing and doing it well.”
The Rattlers outshot Ambrose 47.2 per cent to 44.1 per cent and almost doubled up the visiting Lions in rebounds, 40 to 22.
A point of success for Medicine Hat was limiting and capitalizing on turnovers. They committed four less turnovers and scored 17 points to the Lions 16 points off turnovers.
Medicine Hat led all but the third quarter in scoring as they took control early, leading 27-16 after the first.
Before the second quarter ended, Ambrose’s Brayden Daniel was caught up going for a ball at the Lions net. He fell hard and had to be carried off and later taken away by ambulance.
Humphrey says the Rattlers send their thoughts and wish him a quick return from the injury.
The Rattlers women’s basketball team took on Ambrose after the men’s game, but did not finish before press.
Both the men’s and women’s Rattler teams hit the road Saturday for their next action – a rematch with Ambrose.
Humphrey says the Rattlers will have to deal with the Lions’ adjustments on the road if they want to make it two wins in a row.
“They’re probably going to come back with some adjustments and we’re going to have to lay it all out on the road, it’s tough,” Humphrey said.
