The Lakeland College Rustlers women’s basketball team made program history on Saturday, beating the Lambton Lions of Sarnia, Ont. 64-55 to win their first national championship title. The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association women’s basketball finals took place in the Border City from March 13-16, which saw deafeningly loud sold-out crowds filling the Lakeland gym for every Rustlers game. Taylor Weaver Meridian Source Photos
It was the fairy-tale ending everyone was gunning for, and the entire community showed up to watch it all happen.
For the first time in program history, the Lakeland College Rustlers women’s basketball team are national champions after defeating the Lambton Lions 64-55 in an absolute nail-biter of a gold-medal game, and it all went down in the Lakeland gym on Saturday night.
Fifth-year guard Hailey Somers is celebrated by her team as she is called upon to receive the tournament’s MVP award.
Makylla Vachon, Missy Nuku and the rest of the Rustlers shared hugs and tears after a hard-fought battle against the Lambton Lions on Saturday night to win the program’s first national championship.
“I have so many feelings; I don’t really have many words,” said fifth-year guard Hailey Somers right after the win.
“I don’t think you could write a more perfect story (to describe) how our last couple years here have gone … I’m so proud of everything and everyone.”
Somers played 31 minutes on Saturday, putting up 12 points, and was also the tournament’s MVP.
The Rustlers’ first shot at a national title came in 2020, which was quickly taken away when the CCAA cancelled the tournament due to COVID.
The team’s second shot came in 2022 when they won bronze, but for head coach, Chris King, the road to a national title has been even longer.
Head coach Chris King completes the cutting down of the net celebration following the Rustlers’ first-ever women’s basketball national title.
“In 2003, when I came here to play for Phil Allen (who passed away a few years ago), Phil’s goal the first year of basketball here at Lakeland was to win a national championship. Fast forward 20 years later, for us to win, at home, and to be coaching now instead of playing, is fantastic,” said a champagne-soaked King during post-win interviews with media, who wore the green, black and gold from 2002-2005.
“It felt special having it here because this was his dream. Being here when he started the program to now is just phenomenal.”
Saturday’s game may have been closer than some expected, which King joked was intentional to keep it interesting for fans.
“With our team, we’re very blessed to be this deep,” he said.
“Sometimes it takes us a while to figure out who’s clicking on that given night, but we felt really comfortable in the last five or six minutes and made that little mini-run that kinda put the game away for us.”
An energized Elliot Lieffers leads a Rustlers celebration during Wednesday night’s quarter-final game against the Okanagan Coyotes.
For Somers, who hails from Regina, winning a national gold medal in front of home-court fans in her last season as a Rustler made it that much sweeter.
“(The fans) were crazy,” she said. “The best part is, these aren’t students we don’t know, it’s not a giant city of people filling the gym, these are our family, these are our friends, these are people in the community we know personally and have such a bond with.
“Having those people here to support us, knowing, and loving us the way they do, and all the kids that came out, it’s crazy. It’s the best thing ever, we’re so lucky here.”
Coach King wasn’t disappointed in the turnout, either.
“I don’t even know if I could coach because they couldn’t even hear what I was saying, but having that vibe is something the players and the community will never forget, for that matter,” he said.
“We knew we were going to get people in the building, we draw very well for games, and we’re very lucky to have community support and youth program support, but to see a lineup at 12 or 1 p.m. today to get in the door was fantastic, and every game was a little bit louder (than the last).”
Head coach Chris King gets into the celebration with his team after winning a national gold medal on Saturday night in the Lakeland gym.
The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) women’s basketball championships kicked off last Wednesday afternoon with the Rustlers first taking on the Okanagan, beating the Coyotes 96-55. Lakeland found themselves up against Champlain College’s Saint-Lambert Cavaliers in the semi-final, beating them 64-54 to another deafening Rustlers’ home crowd on Thursday night.
Young Rustlers fans react to a call they didn’t agree with on Wednesday night as the Rustlers took on the Okanagan Coyotes.
The national championship comes on the heels of an Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) gold medal following a perfect 20-0 season.
Despite her absence next year, Somers is looking forward to the Rustlers’ upcoming season and wants to see the girls “keep rolling.”
“We have so many girls coming back next year, I’m so pumped,” she said. “We’re able to return 15 or 16 people next year. I’m so excited, it’s such a good opportunity for them next year.”
“There’s a lot of youth on the floor; the future is very bright for us,” echoed King. “The key for us is our culture and sticking together, and really supporting each other.
“I think this team genuinely cared about each other more than any other team I’ve had.”
Next year’s CCAA women’s basketball nationals will be played at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, N.B.
