Team Manitoba-Jones skip Jennifer Jones, left, reacts to her teammate's shot as Team Manitoba-Cameron skip Kate Cameron looks on in the semifinal at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Calgary, Alta., Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
CALGARY – Jennifer Jones advanced to Sunday’s final at the Canadian women’s curling championship with a 12-7 semifinal win over fellow-Manitoban Kate Cameron.
Jones scored five points in the first end to control the afternoon game early. She added deuces in the third, fifth and seventh ends to keep Cameron chasing. Cameron shook hands after the ninth end.
Cameron played in six previous Scotties Tournament of Hearts as third for various skips. She was a rookie skip at the national championship with a new team comprised of Meghan Walter, Kelsey Rocque and Mackenzie Elias.
Rocque replaced pregnant second Taylor McDonald just before the Calgary tournament.
“As much as that loss sucks right now, I think the girls are going to take a lot from that,” Cameron said. “That’s one of probably the biggest games they’ve played in.
“Lots to learn this whole week that we can pull from and I think going forward it’s just going to help make us better.”
Her foursome from Winnipeg’s Granite Curling Club won four straight games to reach the semifinal. That included a playoff elimination of Kerri Einarson, who was attempting to claim a record fifth consecutive national crown.
“We turned a few heads and won a couple games I think people weren’t expecting,” Cameron said.
Her team couldn’t recover from giving up an early five points against Jones, however.
“I don’t think, statistically, it’s good odds after that point,” Cameron said.
Homan beat Jones 7-5 in pool play and 5-4 in an extra end in Saturday’s playoff game between the top two seeds.
Six-time champion Jones has said she’ll retire from women’s team curling at the end of this season.
Homan will chase a fourth Canadian championship, but her first since 2017. Her team lost three straight finals between 2019 and 2021.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2024.
