Queens outdueled in the fourth quarter by the Kodiaks, lose first of two games in Lethbridge.

Lethbridge, November 25 - The Red Deer Polytechnic Queens basketball team looked to bounce back after back-to-back losses to the Keyano College Huskies and the Lakeland College Rustlers. Both matches were very close as they only lost by ten. The Queens had their chances, but they could not capitalize on any open lay-ups or free shots. But to get back into the win column sure was not going to be easy with the Kodiaks in first place in the South Division.

To open up this South Division matchup, the teams were putting on a shooting clinic, specifically the Queens who went four-for-six in the first half of the quarter. The Queens had the lead for most of the first quarter but would fall behind in the dying minutes. The Kodiaks led the visiting team 20-18 after the first ten minutes with guards Amy Szymanek (Bachelor of Education Middle School) and Heena Sidhu (Bachelor of Arts Political Science) leading the Queens with seven points at the end of the first quarter.

In another very tight, back-and-forth 10 minutes, the Kodiaks managed to extend their lead by only just two points. Szymanek for the Queens led her team with 13 points and finished off the half going five-for-eleven from field goal range. But RDP would turn over the ball ten times in which the Kodiaks went the other way to score a total of 13 points on these errors by the Queens.  

Red Deer would outscore the Kodiaks in the third 20-19 but still trailed Lethbridge College by two points heading into what was expecting to be another tight quarter. It could be anyone's game in the end. Szymanek continued to lead her team with 16 points, but Sidhu and Peighton Melton (Open Studies) were not far behind her. At the end of the third, Melton was five-for-six from field range putting her in third place in her teams scoring with 11 points.

But the Queens could not hold off the Kodiaks defense any longer enroute to a 79-67 defeat. Lethbridge College outscored Red Deer Polytechnic 23-14 in the fourth quarter. The player of the game went to someone who is totally familiar with this honour in Amy Szymanek, who finished off her night with 18 points and nine rebounds.

These two teams will be back at it tomorrow afternoon at 1 pm in Lethbridge.