Kyanna Giles named third star of the week
author: nathan mccarville | sports writer
Women’s basketball star honored ahead of Canada West playoffs
Kyanna Giles of the women’s basketball team has been named the Canada West third star of the week as a result of her performance on the court against the University of Winnipeg Wesmen. The Cougars were able to win both games against the Manitoban team, Giles standing apart from the rest.
In the first game of the week on January 26, 2018 for the team, the Cougars were able to beat the Wesmen on the University of Regina home court with a score of 70-59. In the game, Giles was able to score 18 of the Cougars’ 70 points in the 26 minutes that she spent on the court, playing an integral part in leading the game for the Cougars.
In the next game held the next day, the Cougars yet again beat the Wesmen, bringing the game to a close with a final score of 89-72. Over the course of her 32 minutes in the game, Giles was able to get 22 points, also getting 15 rebounds in the process. During the weekend, Giles provided a total of 40 points, 20 rebounds, and both 5 assists and 5 steals for the Cougars in their two wins against Winnipeg, a record anyone could be proud to look back on.
Giles is currently ranked as 1st among the Cougars in terms of points scored per game, achieving a 17.1 average, as well as 8.3 rebounds per game and 50 steals over the season, playing a huge role in the successful regular season record of 18 wins and 2 losses for the team.
Recently on February 2nd, the Cougars beat the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in an away game hosted at the Huskies’ home court. In this game Giles was able to get 22 points over the course of this game, 7 in the first half and 15 in the second. Overall, the Cougars’ stellar performance allowed them to beat out the Huskies, the number two team in the league, with a final score of 74-59 for the Cougars.
The celebration was short lived, as the next game brought something unfamiliar to the Cougars. The Cougars had their win streak end, as they were unable to win their second game against the Huskies, with the game ended with a score of 82-87, a mere 5 points away from the Cougars. The closeness of the game was defined by a deviation of points between the teams throughout the game that spanned only a few baskets, illustrating how close the teams were in terms of skill and determination.
In the end, the number one team in the league seems to have met their match in the number two team in the league. Not to be discouraged however, the Cougars remain a strong contender for the national title to be played for soon. The Canada West quarterfinals are to commence on February 15, 2018.
Getting into contact with Giles, when asked how she felt about being named the third star of the week with Canada West, and how it felt to be recognized as such an important part of the Cougars basketball team, she answered, “It means a lot to be recognized, but the only reason why that can happen is the help of my teammates and coaching staff. In practice they push me to be the best possible me.”
“We all push each other because we know how good everyone can be. Being named the third Canada West star of the week so late in the season shows I have more to offer as we get into playoffs. We are looking forward to the rest of the week.”
The Cougars finished their regular season with one of the most impressive records out of the teams in their league this season, coming out on top in both the amount of wins, 18-2, as well as the Rating Percentage Index (RPI) of 0.6472.
When asked how it felt to be a part of that, Giles said, “It feels good to be a part of a team that works super hard and the hard work is paying off so far. I am very excited for playoff basketball; it’s the most exciting time of the year because nobody wants to lose. Every team is going to be coming out ready to play. I feel if we come out ready to play everything should work out but I am very excited to see who we play and prepare for them.”
Venturing into the recent games, the Cougars played this weekend, being able to beat the Huskies in the first game, but unable to clinch the win in the second game, the winning streak was brought to a close.
When asked what she thought about the last game the Cougars played against the Huskies and what she learned during the near perfect run that the Cougars seemed to have, Giles mentions just what is needed for the playoffs.
“I thought it was a well played game by both teams. I loved the fight our team had; it shows that no matter what the circumstances are our team has the will and fight to play with any other team. They never gave up and I was very proud to be a cougar. I learned that our team no matter whom we play would always give 100 per cent effort. Which I think helps us win games. If our shot is not falling I think that we win the little battles like loose balls.”
The Canada West Quarter Finals are set to begin at the University of Regina, giving the top team in the league the home court advantage. With the teams involved still unannounced, the Cougars head into the event not seeing who they’ll have to face, but as confident in themselves as the fans of the team have been throughout the season.