By Matt Nemeth

Rattlers basketball teams split weekend series against RDC

Jan 21, 2017 | 7:43 PM

Medicine Hat, AB – Heading into the weekend both Medicine Hat College basketball teams were on winning streaks, and after back-to-back wins Friday night against the Queens and Kings of Red Deer College, the good times kept rolling for the Rattlers.

Saturday, the party train came to a halt. In the women’s game MHC went into the locker room at half up by 2 points. Then a third quarter to forget for the girls-in-black occurred. The Rattlers wound up getting outscored 49-36 in the final two periods as the Queens came away with a 77-66 win, thanks in large part due to the play of Dedra Janvier. The fifth year guard came off the bench to drop a game-high 22 points, going 8-12 from the field. For the Rattlers, it was forward Kennedy Werre who led the way offensively with 20 points, 12 of which came from the charity stripe. Werre also added 12 boards to finish the afternoon with a double-double. Guard Megan Getz came second in scoring for MHC with 16 points.

Rattlers head coach Clayton Nielsen says although they relinquished the lead in the third quarter, the tide turned before halftime hit.

“Going into half we were up by 2, should’ve been more,” he said. “That translated into the third quarter not being energized, not pushing the play, and that really hurt us. We don’t have the fire power to come back from being down.”

Still, three out of four wouldn’t be bad. And that’s exactly what the men’s team was trying to accomplish in the second half of the double header. A day after winning by only 3 points, the Rattlers and Kings resumed their fierce battle right where they left off in yet another close contest. So close, it would take overtime to decide a winner. MHC went into the break up by 3, and RDC finished the final half with 3 more points than the Rattlers. Cue the dramatic finish.

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After a huge dunk from Sal Abdoul Kader put the Rattlers up 90-86 with just over three and a half minutes to play, it looked like MHC would push their win streak to nine games. But in the end, it was Ian Tevis of the Kings who had the final laugh, after nailing a three point shot with just 3.8 seconds left and the score tied 90-90.The Kings handed the Rattlers their first true loss of the ACAC season 99-96 bin overtime, as MHC did forfeit two games earlier this season after using an ineligible player.

Tevis finished with a game-high 42 points, going  8 for 12 from beyond the arc. Abdoul Kader led the way with 19 points for the Rattlers, while Gui Fuck finished with 18, and Michael Farion had 16.

The Rattlers had a couple costly technical fouls during the game, and head coach Rich Humphrey says his team needs to work on their mental discipline as they move forward.

“This team is an emotionally charged group, and there’s a very fine line between being too emotional, too invested in the game, because at that time you now start playing on emotion instead of using your head,” he said. “I think times like this game in particular we got too emotional, maybe that’s my fault got us a little too charged up, but ya that is our greatest strength and also our greatest weakness.”

As for the performance Tevis put on, the Rattlers bench boss simply tipped his cap.

“He hit some unbelievable shots, and that’s what they needed to do in order to beat us,” he said. “In order for Red Deer to take one off us he has to go for 40 plus. He did that.”

With the win, Red Deer is now in sole possession of first place in the ACAC South Conference, though they do have two games in hand over the Rattlers. MHC meanwhile is tied with the Lethbridge Kodiaks for second, and the women Rattlers sit alone in 4th spot in the south. Both teams will next play Friday evening at the Snakepit when they host the Olds College Broncos in back-to-back contests.