Kelly Scott and her Team Canada rink easily defended their Tournament of Hearts title with a convincing 8-5 win over Saskatchewan's Jan Betker Sunday in Lethbridge, Alta.

The Kelowna, B.C., native jumped on Betker's team with an early 4-0 lead after the first two ends, then played a clean game the rest of the way for the victory.

Team Canada skip Kelly Scott (far left), third Jeanna Schraeder, second, Sasha Carter, and lead Renee Simons celebrate their second straight Hearts title after beating Saskatchewan 8-5 Sunday in Lethbridge, Alta.
(Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)

Scott becomes just the fifth skip to win consecutive titles in the tournament's 45-year history.

"It may be a target, but it's nothing we don't want to wear on our back," Scott told CBC Sports in reference to her team defending the title this week. "We've very excited to have [the Hearts title] for another year."

She now will represent Canada at the upcoming women's world championship March 17-25 in Aomori, Japan.

Scott will be looking to rebound from a disappointing world championship last year in Grand Prairie, Alta., after losing in the semifinals to eventual winner Anette Norberg of Sweden.

"To be back on the international stage is exactly what we want to do and we've been working very hard. We'll go to Japan with a few more tricks in our bag and see what we can do with that Swedish machine," Scott joked about the challenge of Norberg and her rink.

Scott began quickly in the first end, peeling Betker's shot rock out of the house to open with a 2-0 lead. She increased Canada's lead by four in the second with a steal of two after Betker failed to get past her own guard.

Scott continued to curl with the ease of a champion, building a 6-1 lead following four ends. Betker attempted a comeback with a pair over the next two ends, but couldn't maintain the momentum.

Trailing 7-3 in the eighth, Betker attempted a difficult angle raise for two points, but her stone slid through the house, giving Canada a steal of one and an 8-3 advantage.

Despite scoring a cosmetic pair in the ninth, Betker conceded victory following a takeout by Scott on her first shot of the final end.

"We just drew from our experiences from last year and we executed very well," said Scott. 

The loss continues to keep Betker in the rather large shadow of the late Sandra Schmirler. Betker boasts one of the country's most impressive curling resumés, one that includes three national championships, three world crowns and an Olympic gold medal.

The only caveat?

She earned each of those titles playing third for Schmirler.

Scott, meanwhile, has been on a roll since reaching the semifinals of her first Tournament of Hearts in 2005. Though she lost to Shannon Kleibrink in the Olympic trials final later that year, she bounced back from a four-point deficit after four ends to knock off defending champ Jennifer Jones 8-6 in the 2006 Hearts final.