(RICHMOND, B.C.) Edmonton Inferno emerged undefeated in opening day competition at the 2018 Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League (CWBL) Women’s National Championship at the Richmond Oval in Richmond, B.C.
The three-day tournament is co-hosted by Wheelchair Basketball Canada and BC Wheelchair Basketball Society (BCWBS) and features the top female club teams in the country.
“BC Wheelchair Basketball is excited to host the 2018 Women’s National Championship,” says Sian Blythe, Executive Director of BCWBS. “Part of the legacy of us hosting events like this is the exposure and inspiration the next generation of players get from being exposed to this top level of competition.”
In an intense first game, Edmonton Inferno defeated Quebec 67-62. Edmonton took an early lead in the first quarter but after a few fast breaks from Quebec, they closed the gap to two points by half time. It was evenly matched in the second half, but in a decisive fourth quarter, Edmonton ultimately took the win. Arinn Young (Edmonton) and Cindy Ouellet (Quebec) both led their teams with 32 points apiece.
In the second game of the day, the Saskatchewan Hot Wheels took on host BC Breakers. Saskatchewan dominated with a 20-6 lead after the first quarter and were able to maintain a solid lead throughout the game, winning with a final score of 64-41. Shelby Harrower (Saskatchewan) put up an impressive 22 points.
With one win apiece, Edmonton and Saskatchewan battled each other next to claim the top spot of the day. After a 10 point deficit in the first quarter, Edmonton made a come back and took the win over Saskatchewan with a final score of 70-67. Erica Gavel (Saskatchewan) and Arinn Young (Edmonton) were the top point producers with 30 points each.
Quebec claimed their first win of the tournament, outpacing BC 70-33 in the final game of the day. Cindy Ouellet was once again the offensive catalyst for Quebec with 16 points, while Amanda Yan responded with 12 points for BC.
Two more round-robin games take place tomorrow morning. Tomorrow’s afternoon semi-final games will determine which two clubs will battle for the gold.
Final results from today can be found here.
About BC Wheelchair Basketball Society
The BC Wheelchair Basketball Society (BCWBS) is the provincial sports’ governing body which provides support to wheelchair basketball programs throughout BC. BCWBS’s mission is to provide experiences that inspire inclusion, participation and excellence through wheelchair basketball.
About Wheelchair Basketball Canada
Wheelchair Basketball Canada is the national sport governing body responsible for the organization of the sport in Canada. It is a non-profit, charitable organization that is committed to excellence in the development, support and promotion of wheelchair basketball programs and services for all Canadians from grassroots to high performance. Wheelchair basketball is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, competitive sport in which Canada is held in high esteem around the world for winning a combined six gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in the last seven Paralympic Games. For more information, please visit www.wheelchairbasketball.ca.