CLARKWATCH: Follow news and updates regarding sanctions on Mayor Clark.

Rattlers women’s team stages fourth quarter comeback to stun Kodiaks

Jan 5, 2019 | 2:26 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Kiana Mintz came alive off the bench in her return to league play on Friday, helping the Medicine Hat College Rattlers women’s basketball team to yet another victory.

Mintz played 22 minutes in a reserve role for the Rattlers, leading the team with 16 points in a 70-58 victory over the Lethbridge College Kodiaks in the team’s first game of 2019.

However, it was Lethbridge coming out with the superior effort in the first quarter with a 17-13 lead over the Rattlers after the opening 10 minutes.

Medicine Hat’s attack led by Mintz started to ramp up in the second quarter, as she added six points to her totals to see the two teams tied at 28-28 at halftime.

The third quarter saw the Rattlers and Kodiaks trade chances with the defence stepping up, as Lethbridge took a slim 44-43 lead over Medicine Hat looking for the upset in the fourth quarter.

Quiet for most of the night, senior Kendell Kuntz hit four shots over the final 10 minutes including a pair of three pointers to secure the 12 point victory for the Rattlers to extend their win streak to five games.

Kuntz finished second to Mintz in Rattlers scoring with 13 points in the win, while Medicine Hat’s bench players combined for 58 points on the night.

Improving to a 9-1 record on the season, the first place Rattlers are now four points clear of the Olds Broncos for tops in the South Division.

On the men’s side, Kieron Burgess had a game-high 23 points but it wasn’t enough to prevent an 80-75 defeat at the hands of the Kodiaks men’s squad.

Not much separated the two teams over the first quarter, with six different Rattlers finding the scoresheet and trailing Lethbridge by just two points at the break.

Burgess hit four shots and a pair of free throws in the second quarter to ignite Medicine Hat’s attack, but a late rally from the Kodiaks allowed the home side to extend their lead to 39-36 at halftime.

Coming out of the break, it was Burgess, DeAngelo Ashley, and Jon Sappleton leading the way offensively to give Medicine Hat their first lead of the game 61-59 heading to the fourth frame.

Medicine Hat’s scoring dried up in the final quarter however with just 14 points, while Lethbridge’s Michael Clemons led his team with five points and became the ACAC all-time leader in steals en-route to the Kodiaks coming back to shock the Rattlers.

Burgess added 17 rebounds to his totals for the double-double, while Ashley was the only other Rattlers player to reach double digits in points with 12.

Now holding a 6-4 record through 10 games, the Rattlers are tied in points with Lethbridge and Ambrose University for second place in the South Division.

For the first time since October 20, the Rattlers will return to the ‘Snake Pit’ on Saturday night to close out the home-and-home series against the Kodiaks starting at 6:00 pm with the women’s contest.