Sterckel leads Mystics to win

(Halifax, NS) The 2025-26 ACAA Women's Basketball Championship continued this afternoon with the second semi-final matchup as the host two-seed Mount Saint Vincent Mystics outlasted the three-seed Mount Allison Mounties 62-60 Saturday afternoon at the A. Garnet Brown Memorial Gymnasium. The Mystics advanced to the championship game tomorrow afternoon as they will battle the Tommies in a matchup of the top two seeds in the tournament. 

Celine Sterckel (Moncton, NB) powered the offence with a game-high 20 points, while securing 9 rebounds for the Mystics. Victoria Strickland (St. John's, NL) added 14 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists while Lily Newberry (Yellowknife, NT) recorded 12 points in victory for the Mystics. 

Grace Tilley (Rothesay, NB) and Ava Godfrey (Miramichi, NB) finished with a team-high 15 points for the Mounties. Tilley also grabbed 6 rebounds and tallied 4 assists. Rounding out the offence for the Mounties, Kate Fillmore (Moncton, NB) chipped in with 10 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. 

As the second matchup tipped off, both teams looked to punch their ticket to the finals tomorrow. The Mystics would look to Celine Sterckel as she finished with a lay-up over her defender. Victoria Strickland would find an open for a quick lay-up for the Mystics, a few possessions later. The Mounties would get on the board when Grace Tilley would connect on a long-distance three. Lily Newberry would counter for the Mystics with a three of her own, building their lead to 7-3 early in the matchup. As the intensity picked up, the Mystics would convert their defence to offence, when Jenna Matheson (Halifax, NS) would pick off the Mounties' guard and find Elissa Bryce (Rothesay, NB) to increase their lead. The Mounties would get contribution from their bench, when Nora Miller (Kemptville, ON) would sub into the game and find herself open in transition for an open three to cut the Mystics' lead to 1. In a defensive battle, Danielle Alexander (Woodstock, NB) showed up as she anticipated the Mystics' attack and swatted the shot attempt out of bounds to keep the score deadlocked at 10. Late in the quarter, with the shot clock expiring, Sarah Mallard (Hammonds Plains, NS) of the Mounties would rise up and knocked down a deep three. The next Mounties possession, Tilley would knock down a crucial three to extend the Mounties' lead to nine which forced the Mystics to call a timeout with 28 seconds remaining in the quarter. The Mystics would force a late turnover which led to a made lay-up by Emma Empringham (Sackville, NS) prior to the end of the first quarter. The Mounties would take a 19-12 lead into the second quarter. 

Ava Godfrey would open things up for the Mounties as she drove past her defender on the opening possession. A few possessions later, Strickland would counter for the Mystics as she would dribble past her defender for the mid-range jumper. Battling for extra possessions, Empringham's hustle would buy the Mystics another possession, and they capitalized when Keezaidra Smith (North Preston, NS) would fly past her defender for the lay-up. With the momentum shifting to the hosts, Sterckel would get the crowd into the game with an important three to cut the Mounties' lead to 4 midway through the quarter. Out of a timeout, the Mounties would respond as Tilley drove through the defence and found Godfrey cutting to the basket for the momentum-changing lay-up. The Mystics would call on Strickland to quiet the Mounties when she drove to the lane and beat the shot clock with a floating left-handed runner. As the momentum would shift to the Mounties, the Mystics would find another basket when Strickland attacked the hoop and finished her lay-up to narrow the Mounties' lead to 29-24. The Mystics would get a spark off their bench, as Sarah Gruchy (St. John's, NL) would follow her shot and collected the rebound and found Matheson for the bank three to tie the game up at 29. On the Mystics' next possession, the ball would find Sterckel in the post as she powered up through the defender to give the Mystics the lead at 31-29. With momentum shifting to the Mystics, their defensive pressure rose to the occasion and continued to force Mounties' turnovers. The pressure would lead to consecutive made baskets to close the half. First, Strickland would knock down a three from the right wing. Then, Smith would score on a second-chance opportunity to give the Mystics a 37-29 lead at the half. 

With a berth in the finals on the line, Tilley would open the scoring in the third quarter when she drove the lane and made the lay-up over her defender. The momentum shifted to the Mounties when Tilley would hit another three cutting the Mystics' lead to 1. The Mystics would go on a mini-run as Sterckel gathered an offensive rebound and scored a second-chance lay-up. On the following Mystics possession, Newberry would rise up from the corner and hit the three. The Mystics would continue to apply pressure as their forwards Empringham and Sterckel would slash through the defence for momentum-swinging lay-ups to increase their lead to double digits, leading 46-36. Through the deafening noise of the crowd, Godfrey would quiet down the Mystics' supporters when she attacked the basket on consecutive possessions to cut the lead to six. The Mystics would call on Sterckel again, as she caught the entry pass from her teammate for the lay-up. In a back-and-forth battle, both teams were contributing from the three-point arc. First, Godfrey connects on a corner three for the Mounties, and in the next possession, Newberry would hit another three for the Mystics. The battle continued, as Sterckel sealed her defender off and caught the entry pass on the left block and finished on the left side of the basket to put the Mystics up by 10. After the Mounties regrouped after a timeout, Mallard would connect on a transition three but almost instantaneously; Bryce would respond with a clutch response for the Mystics from the mid-range. At this moment in the quarter, the Mystics were first to the floor and they were winning extra possessions for their team with the hustle points. The Mounties turned to their point guard, Kate Fillmore to cut into the Mystics' lead when she drove past her defender and throw up a driving floater. Going into the final quarter, the Mystics held a seven-point lead at 57-50. 

Playoff games are earned in the fourth quarter, and as both teams came out of the third quarter break, a championship spot was on the line. With the cheering section for both teams increasing the volume, the execution on the court would be vital in securing the right to face the Tommies in tomorrow's championship game. The defence picked up on both sides as it was scoreless for over three minutes to start the quarter. Both teams knew that any made field goals this late in the quarter could impact the final result. As important as it is to score, the Mystics were anticipating passing plays, securing big rebounds and battling for jump balls would gain them extra possessions and that would be the impact early in the quarter from Strickland and Empringham. With over four minutes played in the fourth quarter, the Mystics would lean on Sterckel again as she made her drop-step move to the middle of the lane and rose over her defender as the shot clock expired to extend their lead to nine. Momentum shifted as Emma Roberts (Truro, NS) and Grace Tilley would knock down consecutive threes for the Mounties, as they trailed 59-57 with under 4 minutes to play. With less than three minutes to play in the fourth quarter in the intense atmosphere of the semi-final matchup, Tilley would block the Mystics' three-point attempt and take the ball up the court where her free throw would tie the game up at 60. With 1:08 remaining in the quarter, Smith would penetrate through the Mounties' defence, and after her missed shot attempt, Sterckel would locate the offensive rebound and willed her way to a clutch free throw to give the Mystics a 62-60. With less than 30 seconds remaining in the game, and the Mystics holding a two-point lead, players from both teams are hustling and diving on loose balls trying to secure the second spot in the championship game. The heart and hustle on both teams would be on full display as it was a suspenseful finish to well-fought battle. Ultimately, the Mystics would come out on top, closing out the Mounties 62-60. 

Cleve's Source for Sports Player of the Game

Celine Sterckel (Mount Saint Vincent Mystics) 
Grace Tilley (Mount Allison Mounties) 

The Mount Saint Vincent Mystics advanced to tomorrow's championship matchup as they face the top-seeded St. Thomas Tommies. Game time is at 1:00 p.m.