L’Association québécoise des sports en fauteuil roulant (AQSFR) and Wheelchair Basketball Canada host 2011 National and Women’s CWBL Cham
Team Quebec captured its first-ever National Championship title in front of a loud hometown crowd with a tight 49-46 defeat over the Edmonton Inferno in the final game at the 2011 Women’s CWBL National Championships in Longueuil, QC.
Led by tournament MVP and Women’s U25 National Team standout Cindy Ouellet, Quebec held on to the three-point lead in the final seconds of the game despite a spirited comeback attempt by the Inferno.
Quebec started the game with intensity and seized the momentum early. The team established a 15-9 lead after the first frame and with further execution at both ends of the court, Quebec entered the fourth quarter with a 41-29 advantage.
The Inferno showed no signs of quitting and stormed back in the final frame. Edmonton went on a 12-4 run to climb within reach (45-41) on the scoreboard with just over three minutes left to play. The Inferno pulled within three points with less than a minute left on the clock, but Quebec stemmed the tide and held on for the victory.
“It was a really good game. The intensity was really good the whole way. We had a couple minutes here and there that were a little bit down, but generally, it went pretty well,” said Ouellet.
Quebec captured the gold for the first time following several other podium finishes at the tournament in years past.
“Obviously, we are really proud of ourselves. We played as a team and the 10 of all played. It was awesome. I’ve been on the team for three years and I’m excited I finally won gold,” said Ouellet.
“I think the future is very bright for us. We have had trouble in the past with playoffs and keeping our emotions together. This year I think Team Quebec stepped it up,” said Quebec Head Coach Jason Eng.
Edmonton played a strong game and fell just shy of completing the comeback in the final quarter.
“We knew that Quebec would go on a run and if we could ride that tide over the run we knew we could come back. We just knew it was a game of momentum and if we executed our game plan we would be in the game, and that’s exactly what happened until the end of the game,” said Inferno player and tournament all-star Karla Tritten.
Tournament all-star Gabrielle Cote scored a game-high 25 points for Quebec. Ouellet added 14 points of her own in the win.
Tritten, a former member of the Sr. Women’s National Team, tallied a team-leading 16 points and 11 rebounds to earn the double-double for Edmonton.
Bronze Medal Game
Earlier in the day, the Calgary Rollers upset the defending champion BC Breakers to claim the bronze medal by a score of 53-44. The Breakers led on the scoreboard for the first two frames but Calgary completed the comeback in the final half of the tight, hard-fought game. Tournament all-star Kendra Ohama scored 13 points for the Rollers in the victory while her Team Canada teammate Elisha Williams led the Breakers in scoring with 14 points.
2011 Women’s CWBL National Championships – Final Results
Gold – Quebec
Silver – Edmonton Inferno
Bronze – Calgary Rollers
4th Place – British Columbia Breakers
5th Place – U25
6th Place – Ontario
7th Place – Ottawa Phoenix
MVP – Cindy Ouellet - Quebec
All-Stars
Elaine Allard – Quebec
Gabrielle Cote – Quebec
Katie Harnock – Ontario
Kendra Ohama – Calgary Rollers
Karla Tritten – Edmonton Inferno
High-resolution photos from the National & Women’s CWBL National Championships are available for download (please credit Wheelchair Basketball Canada):http://www.flickr.com/photos/wheelchairbasketball/sets/72157626714107934/
Schedule & Results:
- 2011 National Championships –http://www.wheelchairbasketball.ca/en/tournament.aspx?id=3725
- 2011 CWBL Women’s National Championships – http://www.wheelchairbasketball.ca/en/tournament.aspx?id=3728
- Team Rosters:
- 2011 National Championships – http://www.wheelchairbasketball.ca/en/content.aspx?id=3726
- 2011 CWBL Women’s National Championships – http://www.wheelchairbasketball.ca/en/content.aspx?id=3729
The tournament is being held in conjunction with the National Wheelchair Basketball Championships - where the best men’s provincial teams in the country will also compete to decide a National Champion.
The tournament features elite players from across Canada including members of the Canadian Senior Men’s, Senior Women’s, and Under-25 Women’s National Teams.
Both Senior National Teams are preparing to embark on the road to the 2012 Paralympic Games. They will compete at the 2011 Parapan American Games (November 12-20) in Guadalajara, Mexico, which double as the qualification tournament for London 2012.
The Women’s U25 National Team is preparing to host the world at the first-ever Women’s U25 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships (July 15-21, 2011) in St. Catharines, ON.
For more information visit: www.wheelchairbasketball.ca
About l’Association québécoise des sports en fauteuil roulant
AQSFR is a non-profit organization officially recognized as the governing body of wheelchair sports by the Quebec government. The organization works to develop programs and services that benefit people with physical limitations while promoting a healthy, active lifestyle and access to wheelchair sports.
About Wheelchair Basketball Canada
Wheelchair Basketball Canada is the national sports governing body responsible for the organization of wheelchair basketball in Canada. It is a non-profit, charitable organization that is the Canadian member to the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF). Wheelchair basketball is a fast paced, hard-hitting, competitive sport that has emerged as one of the most competitive and athletic sports played at the Paralympic Games. Our senior national teams are held in high esteem around the world for the elite skill and control that placed them on the podium with a combined five gold and one silver medal in the last five Paralympic Games.
For more information or to schedule an interview contact:
Jody Kingsbury
Manager, Communications & Media Relations
Wheelchair Basketball Canada
T: 613-260-1296 ext. 204
