Broncos cruise past Briercrest

Olds College Sports Information
November 2, 2018

OLDS, Alta. - Once the Olds College Broncos get out running, they're tough to stop.

The Broncos burst out of the gates, and they didn't let up en route to a 113-63 victory over the Briercrest College Clippers at the Ralph Klein Centre on Friday.

Brittney Thibeaux (Lake Villa, Ill.) led all scorers with 31 points to go with six rebounds and five blocks, while Michaela Allen-Gullion (26 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, six steals) and Kyla Adams (26 points, four rebounds) also played significant roles for the Broncos (4-1), who justified their place as the CCAA's seventh-ranked team.

"It's amazing that we've just picked up our game," Allen-Gullion (Calgary, Alta.) said of the team's four-game winning streak. "Kristina [Bajovic] has been doing a great job leaking out for us, and that just creates a quicker game pace for us."

Amber Tilcox paced the Clippers (0-4) with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Adrianna Beck added 15 points of her own.

The Broncos shot 59.2 per cent from the floor, while holding the Clippers to a 31.7 per cent clip.

Olds College charged ahead early, opening the game on a 16-2 run to take full control en route to a commanding 34-12 lead through the opening 10 minutes.

The Broncos' style of play comes from paying attention to the defensive side of the ball, Allen-Gullion said.

"Our game plan is always fast pace and transition," she said. "We emphasize our defence, we take pride in our defence. Our offence comes from our defence, so that's how we play the game."

The Broncos kept pushing hard in the second, not letting their foot off the gas, extending their lead to 60-27 going into halftime.

Briercrest enjoyed a strong start to the third quarter, briefly cutting into the Broncos lead with a 14-5 run to open the frame. However, following a timeout, Olds College regained its momentum from the first half, pushing the lead out to 86-45 heading into the fourth.

Adams (St. Paul, Minn.) was named The Pit BBQ Player of the Game for the Broncos, while Tilcox earned player of the game honours for Briercrest.

Both teams will hit the road for their next matchups, both taking place Saturday at 6 p.m. The Broncos head south to face the Lethbridge College Kodiaks, while the Clippers will head to the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre to battle the Red Deer College Queens.

Allen-Gullion doesn't see the Broncos' road map to success changing any time soon.

"We just need to keep focusing on our defence," she said. "That's how we zone in, that's how we focus, that's how we get our steals, that's how we get our transition."