Rodrigue leads Cougars to opening win
Lyla Rodrigue loves playing basketball – and it shows.
Her passion for the game was on full display on Tuesday in the opening round of the BPSN Senior Girls Basketball Tournament as the visiting Centennial Cougars knocked off the host Governor Simcoe Redcoats 35-29.
“As a Grade 10, I just try to keep a positive attitude on the court throughout the game,” she said. “When other players miss a shot, I am always trying to encourage them to keep shooting and stay up.”
On Tuesday, it was Rodrigue’s leadership both on the court as well as the stat sheet as the Niagara JUEL Prep player dropped 18 of her team’s 35 points and logged all 32 minutes.
Rodrigue’s importance to her team is not lost on her coach, Stephanie Findlay.
“The biggest thing she brings to this team is her enthusiasm and her passion to play the sport,” Findlay said. “She’s a really good teammate – she’s smiling from cheek to cheek every time her teammates score. Her level of intensity brings our entire team’s play up.”
All of that intensity was needed against Simcoe as the Redcoats scratched their way back to 26-23 in the third quarter behind the heroics of Grade 12 star Kiera Teske. Teske scored all 11 of the Redcoats third quarter points, but without a secondary scorer, it wouldn’t be enough. The JUEL player would finish with a game-high 21 points.
Teske’s talents were not lost on Centennial, specifically Rodrique.
“As a team, we focused on always knowing where she was on the court and I think we did a really good job closing out on her,” she added.
Simcoe coach John Ingribelli pointed out that his team’s lack of patience was part of the problem when trying to find alternative scoring options.
“We need to move the ball and trust each other,” he said. “When we do move the ball, we get open looks, but they have to have faith in one another.”
Not one for making excuses, but when pressed, Ingribelli agreed that the absence of forward Taliyah Washington may have been a factor.
“It definitely hurts us. With her in the game, everything opens up with our inside-outside game,” he said. “Having said that, it does give the other girls an opportunity to learn and get better.”
STATS PACK
Cougars 35 Redcoats 29
Cat’s Caboose Player of the Game: Lyla Rodrigue with 18 points and a solid game at the point guard position.
For the Centennial Cougars: Rodrigue 18; Caitlyn Wade 9; McKenna Montague 4; Tayor Breton 2; Nevaeh LeMay 2
For the Governor Simcoe Redcoats: Teske 21; Maddy Hollingsworth, Lily Hoogendam, Josie Joyce, Brianna Peters 2
The tournament is made possible with the help of Women Networking in Sports of Niagara, Tora Inc., Ridley College, Alltech Automotive, St. Catharines CYO Basketball, Pelham Panthers basketball, Niagara Falls Red Raiders basketball, the Niagara District Referees Association, the District School Board of Niagara and the Niagara Catholic District School Board.
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