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Jones, Einarson both win to remain unbeaten at Scotties Tournament of Hearts

Another quick start, another big win for Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
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Another quick start, another big win for Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

Jones’ rink led 6-1 through four ends en route to an 11-5 win over Nova Scotia. The five-time champion sealed her third straight double-digit victory with three in the ninth and final end at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

“I feel like we’re playing well and making a lot of big shots when we have to,” said Jones. “We had some tough shots there today and we made them.

“I feel like we’re in a good place.”

Jones likes that her rink is getting something from every shot. As a team, Manitoba shot 87 per cent as second Jill Officer led the way at 86 per cent with Jones at 75 per cent.

But the five-time champion isn’t content, saying her team will strive to continue getting better.

Nova Scotia shot 82 per cent as a team, with third Christina Black leading the way at 85 per cent. Skip Mary-Anne Arsenault shot 76 per cent.

Nova Scotia chipped away at Manitoba’s lead with two in the seventh and one in the eighth to make it an 8-5 contest. But Arsenault wasn’t happy with her rink’s play.

“It wasn’t very good, we were kind of flat,” said Arsenault, who curls out of the Dartmouth Curling Club. “I personally didn’t play as well as I have been.

“Skips have got to make saves and I didn’t make them. Hopefully we will be back on track against New Brunswick (later Monday night).”

In the fifth end, Arsenault’s last rock was a bit light, earning her just one point. And that wasn’t a good thing versus a Manitoba squad that’s scored 37 points over its first three games.

Wild-card entry Kerri Einarson also improved to 3-0 to move into a first-place tie with Jones atop Pool A. Einarson’s rink kept pace with Manitoba with an 8-4 win over Saskatchewan’s Sherry Anderson.

Einarson secured the win in the ninth end after Anderson missed her shot to give Einarson a four-point lead. Einarson said her team struggled a little bit with some shots but overall felt the match was pretty well played.

“I felt we were in control the whole time,” said Einarson. “I wasn’t a bit worried until the eighth end.”

Facing a veteran curler like Anderson, Einarson expected a good game.

“We definitely had to come out and be on top of them,” she said.

In other early action, Northern Ontario’s Tracy Fleury (1-2) earned an 8-5 win over Yukon’s Chelsea Duncan (0-3) while New Brunswick’s Sylvie Robichaud (2-1) scored one in the 11th for an 8-7 victory over Kerry Galusha of the Northwest Territories (1-2).

The top four teams from each pool advance to the championship round.