U of R Cougars eliminated from U Sports tournament

The University of Regina Cougars were eliminated from the U Sports women’s basketball championship tournament Friday.

The fifth-seeded Cougars lost 63-45 to the No. 8-seeded Ryerson Rams in a consolation semifinal in Toronto. The defeat ended Regina’s season.

The Rams — the tournament’s host team — are to play the No. 6-seeded Acadia Axewomen in Sunday’s fifth-place game (11 a.m., Saskatchewan time). Acadia defeated the seventh-seeded Concordia Stingers 86-74 in Friday’s other consolation semifinal.

The Cougars trailed Ryerson 14-8 after the first quarter and 26-22 at the half. The Rams stretched the lead to 50-34 after three quarters and the Cougars couldn’t recover.

Fifth-year Christina McCusker scored a team-high 19 points in her final game as a member of the Cougars. Alexi Rowden added eight points and seven rebounds for Regina, which was playing without first-team All-Canadian Kyanna Giles (knee).

Meanwhile, the championship semifinals are to be played Saturday.

In the first, the third-seeded Saskatchewan Huskies are to meet the No. 2-ranked McMaster Marauders. Following that contest, the fourth-seeded Ottawa Gee-Gees are to tangle with the top-seeded Laval Rouge et Or.

The bronze-medal game (1 p.m., Saskatchewan time) and championship final (5:30 p.m.) also are to be played Sunday.