The Providence University College Pilots came out with the perfect start to complete the perfect season on Sunday.
After going 8-0 in the MCAC women's basketball regular season, PUC scored 30 points in the first quarter and defeated the Canadian Mennonite University Blazers 69-58 in the final on home court in Niverville.
Much of the Pilots strong start was on the back of championship MVP Faith LaRocque's line for a brief shift that did a lot of damage in the full-court press.
"It really is 'play like any other shift,'" LaRocque said of the team's mindset. "It's an intense game, we play a lot with each other and it happened that we made a lot in that shift. We didn't make as much in other shifts but we made up for it in other ways."
Both defences turned up the intensity after the first quarter, resulting in a lower-scoring stretch as PUC led 48-34 at halftime, but CMU narrowed the gap to as close as 55-53 in the fourth quarter before the Pilots brought their best defence of the game, and possibly the season, to close it out.
"One thing I like to say consistently is one team can score two points, the other zero, as long as you stop that team from scoring, you win the game. Always emphasizing our defensive intensity and enthusiasm all the time," LaRocque said.
Coach of the year Kendall Perpall used 15 players to CMU's 10 in the final, but did roll the player of the year, LaRocque, and all-conference guards Sydney Last and Fiona Garcia for about 20 minutes each. LaRocque finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Last and Garcia had 15 points each.
CMU's player of the game Chanelle Lafreniere had 17 points, with Keara Howden recording 16 rebounds.
"Our old coach Joel (Coursey) enforced the system a lot, the short shifts. There would be occasional times with longer minutes," LaRocque said.
"With KP coming into this year, he really wanted to put his own spin on it, and that involved making what we call the P-line, which basically involves some of the higher-calibre players, older teammates. We would practise together in practice for crucial moments such as this."
Source: https://mcacathletics.ca/sports/wbkb/2025-26/releases/20260215tpexhe