Playing without Christine Kennedy wasn't easy.
Saturday afternoon at the Northern Sport Centre, the UNBC Northern Timberwolves lost 70-60 to the Mount Royal University Cougars in a women's basketball exhibition game. The Timberwolves took to the court without Kennedy, their injured All-Canadian point guard, and badly missed her veteran presence. The T-wolves committed far too many turnovers -- 25 in total -- and those miscues turned into 23 points for the Calgary-based Cougars.
In particular, the T-wolves were killed by their own play in the first four minutes of the third quarter. They came out flat and unfocused and watched the Cougars score 14 unanswered points and move into a 44-26 lead. Even though the UNBC players were much better in the last 15 minutes of the contest, they couldn't claw out of the hole.
"It's different with CK out," said interim head coach Rachel Hulme, in reference to Kennedy, a fifth-year player who hurt a tendon in her lower leg while playing for the T-wolves at the Phoenix Cactus Jam during the Christmas break. "Without someone who has that calming influence, it's hard."
Kennedy's spot was taken by Jenn Knibbs, a rookie point guard with tons of promise. But, against Mount Royal, she had seven turnovers, the same number as second-year guard/forward Mercedes Van Koughnett.
"It's a lot of responsibility and I have to step up, and I don't think I did as well as I should have," said Knibbs, an off-season recruit from Saskatoon who is projected as Kennedy's successor next season. "It's something I'll work on and go to the gym and talk to Christine about and get her to help me with that too."
Jamie Morck knocked down 21 points for the Cougars, while Van Koughnett scored a team-leading 16 for the Timberwolves.
UNBC also had a game on Friday night and lost 78-56 to the Grant MacEwan University Griffins of Edmonton. The T-wolves led 21-15 after the first quarter but couldn't maintain their pace of play. The Griffins were up 34-27 by halftime and continued to run away from their hosts in the last two quarters. Grant MacEwan finished the game with nine three-pointers, six of them by second-year guard Bayan Kurd.
In other weekend games at the NSC, the Griffins beat the Capilano University Blues -- the top team in B.C. -- 70-53 and the Blues defeated the Cougars 78-57.
Kennedy may or may not be available when the Timberwolves play league games against the Quest University Kermodes Friday and Saturday in Squamish.
"It really depends on if it's hurting or not," Hulme said. "If it's hurting, she can't do it."
