7 March 2020 Brock Sports

*NOTE - Attached to this release is are two photos that are free for media use. Captions: 1.The Brock women’s team celebrates their 69-55 victory over the UPEI Panthers during the Women’s Final 8 semi-final game at TD Place Arena in Ottawa on Saturday, March 7. The Badgers will play for their first gold medal in program history on Sunday, March 8 at 5 p.m. 2. Jessica Morris, a fourth-year forward, drives the ball to the hoop versus the UPEI Panthers during the 2020 U SPORTS Final 8 semi-final at TD Place Arena in Ottawa on Saturday, March 7. *Non-branded Brock highlights, interviews and other footage is also available in a shared drive here.

Badgers women to play for first U SPORTS gold medal in program history

The Brock Badgers women’s basketball team has gold in their sights for the first time ever in school history.

The second-ranked Badgers will play for their first gold medal, and a national championship banner, after taming the sixth-ranked UPEI Panthers 69-55 in the semi-finals of the U SPORTS Women’s Final 8 at TD Place Arena in Ottawa on Saturday, March 7.

Brock will play the championship game on Sunday, March 8 against the first-ranked , who knocked off fourth-ranked Laval in the other semi-final.

Tipoff is set for 5 p.m.

“I never dreamed of this moment. I wouldn’t want to do it with anybody else,” said Tatti during a post-game press conference. “My team is amazing. We’re an army. We never let our guard down and we play like we’re behind by 15 points every possession.”

The Panthers kept up pace with the Badgers for most of the game until Brock’s big three attackers of Tatti, Keltos and Jessica Morris had the offence humming by the final frame.

“We had to lay the hammer down in the fourth,” said Tatti, who scored 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

Samantha Keltos was named player of the match for a second-consecutive game as she poured in 23 points and nabbed 17 rebounds.

After the game, Kristin Gallant fought back tears as she reflected on how far she, and the Brock women’s basketball program has come in the past three years.

“I’m the only one left from my first year,” said the third-year Gallant. “If you would have asked me in my first year, I would never have believed I would be here. The team completely flipped and I’m so happy and proud. I’m proud of myself that I stuck it out because not every year was super good. But it made me a better person and I’m tougher on the court and off because of it.”

Brock has never finished better than third at the national championships for women’s basketball.

“We’re not done yet. We know we get a medal, but we want to go for gold,” said Gallant. “Silver isn’t good enough. We’re completely focused on tomorrow.”

Regardless of what happens Sunday, just making it into the national championship game will be the crescendo of a remarkable transformation. With U SPORTS and OUA Coach of the Year Mike Rao at the helm, the Badgers have become the story of university basketball this season.

“Rao has really been the best leader we can have. I think we’re all really buying in and that’s what a team does,” Gallant said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been on a team that plays like a team as much as we do and it’s really nice because we have two of our Brock legends, Jessica (Morris) and (Melissa) Tatti, leaving this year. The least we can do is win it all for them.”

Brock, the second seed, kept up with a physical UPEI Panthers team which knocked out Brock’s rival, the , to open the tournament.

After a short spell of missed shots, Sofia Croce put the Badgers on the board first by powering her way to the basket and set the tone against a physical UPEI Panthers team. Both teams remained tied 20-20 after the first quarter.

The Panthers , who were led in the game by Jenna Mae Ellsworth with 19 points, didn’t have an answer for Keltos, the tallest player on the court at 6-foot-3, as she threw down a pair of massive blocks and wore down UPEI’s defence with hard-nosed drives to the net.

“When we’re up like that we never think that we’re up. To us it’s a close game,” said Keltos. “Just never let up.”

When Keltos was subbed, Eden Ferraro stepped up and had the large pro-Brock crowd on its feet with a critical rejection to hold Brock’s lead, 36-33, at halftime.

“Our fans are crazy,” said Tatti. “They’ve been following us, and our parents and support is incredible,” said Tatti. “People are driving four or six hours to come watch us. You can see their soul as lively as can be. I don’t think we would play the way we did without them.”

Tatti continues to dominant the second half of games and said there’s a trick to winning the fourth quarter.

She grew up playing for a coach who would tell her to read the game in the first half as a point guard.

“Then, when your team needs you start doing what you can with what you’ve learned,” said Tatti, who grew up playing basketball in the Hamilton area. “I’m a fourth-quarter girl for some reason.”

Sunday marks the final day of the U SPORTS Women’s Basketball Final 8 championship. The bronze medal game will be played at noon with the championship game at 5 p.m.

As with all of the Badgers games, the final will be broadcast on television screens in Brock’s Guernsey Market, Hungry Badger and Walker Sports Complex. The game is also being livestreamed free on cbcsports.ca

For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

* Stephen Leithwood, Communications Officer, Brock Sports/Ancillary Services [email protected], 905-688-5550 ext. 4752

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