After over a month between OCAA league games, the Royals were back on the court Friday night to open up the winter semester. Redeemer welcomed the Niagara Knights in a tough test at home.
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The Royals came out of the gate flying. Redeemer took a 17-10 lead into the second quarter, backed by
Tobie Brinkman's 7 points and 5 rebounds in the first 10 minutes of play. The Royals had 10 turnovers in the frame, but out rebounded the Knights 15-7 to help the home team control the pace of play.
In the 2nd, Redeemer's turnover woes continued as the Royals struggled to hold onto the ball. Another 10 turnovers in the quarter proved more costly than in the first, as the Royals were limited to just 11 points. Niagara found their scoring touch towards the end of the half, finishing with a 9-0 run, and a 32-28 advantage at the break.Â
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The Knights carried the momentum into the second half, led by Bridget Atkinson who had 12 points and 5 steals in the 3rd quarter. The Royals worked hard to keep the game from getting away from them, winning the rebounding battle for the 3rd straight quarter. Niagara extended their lead with another big run (11-0) late, to end the quarter with a 56-43 lead.Â
A close 4th wasn't enough for Redeemer as Atkinson prevented the Royals from closing the gap. Another 11 points for her in the 4th kept the Knights ahead, winning the quarter 19-16 and the game 75-59.Â
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Tobie Brinkman was dominant on the boards, with 17 total rebounds. She was 10-13 from the free throw line and finished with 18 points for her 8th double-double of the season.
Bridget Atkinson had a game-high 37 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 steals for the Knights.Â
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The Royals will travel to face the 10-1 Falcons on Wednesday in London. The game gets underway at 6:00pm.Â
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