Cougars Catchup: January 20-26

The Cougars men’s volleyball, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams played a combined total of 6 games last week, and even though they ended their weekend without a win, plenty of their players shined on the hardwood. Find out who took home Players Bench Athlete of the Week Honours during the Cougars’ tough week.

Players Bench Female Athlete of the Week: Nora Luca (WBB)

The MRU Cougars women’s basketball team hosted the University of Calgary Dinos last weekend and took two tough losses on Kenyon Court. Still, fans were treated to two masterclass-level performances from star Cougars forward Nora Luca, who tallied 24 points, 18 rebounds, five assists and two steals over the weekend.

The first and only Crowchild Classic series of the basketball season started on Friday, Jan. 24 and Luca made her presence felt early, scoring six points in the first quarter. Most of her work came at the charity stripe as she shot 1-2 from the field but 4-6 from the free throw line. She ended the night with 12 points on 3-6 shooting from the field, including 1-2 from three-point range and 5-8 from the free throw line, and nabbed four rebounds in the Cougars’ 56-79 loss.

The Cougars put together a much more well-rounded performance on Saturday, Jan. 25 in their last Crowchild Classic match of the season, thanks in no small part to Luca’s double-double. In 32 minutes of action, Luca dropped 12 points and grabbed a whopping 14 rebounds. She was a charitable donor at the free throw line, cashing in on four of her six attempts, and made an impact on the defensive end with her two steals. Despite her incredible statistical output, the Cougars took a 41-60 loss in their final regular season game against the Dinos.

The Cougars women’s basketball team will be back in action on Friday, Feb. 7 when they host the University of Alberta Pandas at 6 p.m. at Kenyon Court and live on Canada West TV.

Players Bench Male Athlete of the Week: Grant Hill (MVB)

The MRU Cougars men’s volleyball team were in Kelowna last weekend for a gruelling two-game series against the UBCO Heat. Despite not securing a win, Grant Hill put on a setting clinic as he finished the weekend with 58 assists, eight block assists and a solo block, totalling eight points in two games.

The Cougars were swept 0-3 on Friday, Jan. 24, but not for a lack of brilliance from Hill, who showed his ability to impact multiple facets of the game. Posting five block assists and 18 offensive assists, both of which were team-highs, Hill put his versatility on full display for the Kelowna crowd and Canada West TV viewers.

Hill’s hands were still hot on Saturday, Jan. 25 as he tallied a team-best 40 assists, helping the Cougars make this match much more competitive. Hill also put up three kills at an efficient rate of 60 per cent while dominating defensively with seven digs, one solo block and three block assists. MRU fought until the final stages of the fifth set, but conceded a 2-3 loss to the UBCO Heat on Saturday night.

The men’s volleyball team will be at home for their next game as they take on the MacEwan University Griffins on Friday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. at Kenyon Court and live on Canada West TV.