2015-16 CanWest - women - From Naismith to Nash

REGULAR SEASON

PIONEER				EXPLORER
Saskatchewan	18-2	31-3	Lisa Thomaidis	MacEwan	17-3	22-7	Dave Oldham
Regina	17-3	28-7	Dave Taylor	Thompson Rivers	15-5	17-12	Scott Reeves
Alberta	17-3	26-7	Scott Edwards	Fraser Valley	13-7	16-12	Al Tuchscherer
Calgary	15-5	22-12	Damian Jennings	UBC-Okanagan	10-10	11-14	Claire Meadows
Victoria	9-11	19-17	Dani Sinclair	Northern BC	3-17	3-20	Sergey Shchepotkin
U.B.C.	9-11	14-18	Deb Huband	Mount Royal	2-18	3-21	Nathan McKibbon
Trinity Western	8-12	11-16	Cheryl-Jean Paul
Winnipeg	8-12	15-16	Tanya McKay
Brandon	7-13	8-14	Novell Thomas
Lethbridge	1-19	1-24	Dave Adams
Manitoba	1-19	2-25	Michelle Hynes

Playoff non-qualifiers:

Brandon Bobcats: Aleah Bridges, Shayna Mathison, Kylee Howard, Kaela Cranston, Krystal Drain, Logan Biccum, Keisha Cox, Lauren Anderson, Kinsley Ransom, Stephanie Hunter, Keegan Robinson, Amy Williams, Alyssa Montgomery, Desirae Peiffer, Mikaela Stanton, Natalie Vachon, coach Novell Thomas, assistant Marc Plante, assistant Melissa Stoesz, student therapist Cailee Plante

Lethbridge Pronghorns: Gillian Griffin, Lydia Strong, Katie Keith, Teesha Olson, Erin James, Malayah Bruno, Danielle Fritzke, Zoe Dahl, Kaitlin Bracko, Mariah Miller, Elizabeth Buie, Jessica Holod, Lily Moradel, Kendra Lee, coach Dave Adams, assistant Dave Waknuk, assistant Carly Gibson

Manitoba Bisons: Caitlin Ticzon, Nicole Konieczny, Jenilyn Monton, Tianna Mighty, Cara Neufeld, Emma Thompson, Alyssa Lucier, Montana Kinzel, Claire Harvey, Rebecca Potter, Addison Martin, Atoosa Jalayeri, Tiara Licsi, coach Michele Hynes, assistant J.P. Beauchemin, assistant Amanda Curtis, mentorship staff Cal Botterill, mentorship staff Randy Kusano, therapist Byron Bahniuk, strength & conditioning Shawn Preston, academic advisor Darcy MacPherson, student manager Taneesha Greaves, therapist Cristine Pineda, therapist Ralph Tolentino

Mount Royal Cougars: Drew Knox, Katie Waring, Angela Driscoll, Abby Gibb, Yasmene Saghir, Michelle Tiffany, Becky Nash, Melissa Moore, Cassidy Taal, Brooke Lister, Tyleigha Nelson, Desiree Oakley, Jayla Verney, coach Nathan McKibbon, assistant John Tramble, assistant Sarah Williams, assistant Sarah Neufeld, strength & conditioning Hidesh Bhardwaj, student therapist Stephanie Kennedy

UBC-Okanagan Heat: Vanessa Botteselle, Emily Kanester, Jessica Jazdarehee, Shenelle Tamminen, Chloe Kennedy, Kayla McFadden, Haylie Gibb, Olivia Johnson, Emma Johnson, Jordan Korol, Claire Elliott, Hannah Friesen, Robyn Aulin-Haynes, Carly Corrado, coach Claire Meadows, assistant Bobby Mitchell, therapist Jeff Thornburn, student therapist Karen Tran, athletic director Rob Johnson

UNBC Timberwolves: Hannah Pudlas, Kylie Pozniak, Isabelle Bourque, Nicole Boon, Stacey Graham, Emily Holmes, Eleni Steriopoulou, Emily Aase, Maria Mongomo, Vasiliki Louka, Natasha Layton, Jasprit Nijjar, coach Sergey Shchepotkin, assistant Dave Holmes, assistant Louise Holmes, assistant Mark Johnson

Winnipeg Wesmen: Lucija Golubic, Renetha Burton, Katherine Hastings Van, Brittania Brown, Lena Wenke, Megan Noonan, Kerri Kuzbyt, Faith Hazakiah, Kaelei Knutson, Shawn Pallister, Payton Gomes, Paige Hastings Van, Taylor Thorkelsson, Skylar Boulanger, coach Tanya McKay, assistant Tami Pennell, assistant Richard Gooch, assistant Alyssa Grant, assistant Mackenzie Sader, strength & conditioning Stefanie Esposito, fitness testing Gerren McDonald, therapist Jeff Billeck, student therapist Jillian Reimer, student therapist Chelsea Vandeynze

In the opening round, the 9th-seeded University of British Columbia Thunderbirds (6th, Pioneer) defeated the 8th-seeded Fraser Valley Cascades (3rd, Explorer) 62-48; 84-78 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, U.B.C. prevailed 62-48. The score was tied at 11 after one quarter. The Thunderbirds led 25-24 at the half and 43-41 after three quarters. “Just a really disappointing approach to the game tonight,” said Cascades coach Al Tuchscherer. “We were really caught up in the moment. We didn’t execute how we wanted to execute, and we were really individual on both ends of the court. That led to a lot of frustration, and I think that showed tonight. We’ve got a lot to figure out in the next 24 hours, for sure.” The Cascades opened with a 4-0 run but then went scoreless for five minutes. U.B.C. took a 40-32 lead in the third quarter with a 9-0 run featuring a Shilpa Khanna trey but a pair of treys by Sydney Williams and one by Hailey Kendall trimmed the margin to 42-41. The T-Birds pulled away in the fourth – they held the Cascades scoreless over the last five-plus minutes of the game, while scoring 10 points of their own during that span with treys from Diana Lee and Khanna. “I thought both teams were tight coming out – I don’t think either team played their best basketball in the first half,” said U.B.C. coach Deb Huband. “We’ve been working hard on our defence, and when you play good team defence, you can give yourself a little bit of room to underperform offensively, which I think we did for a portion of the game. But I think we really locked down in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line.” Tuchscherer credited U.B.C.’s pressure defence for forcing 26 turnovers. “But we’ve got to adjust to that. We knew what UBC was going to do, and we prepped for that this week. You never really know until you get into the game, and once we got into the game, we never adjusted to the type of pressure they were going to apply. That was disappointing to me.” Jessica Hanson paced the Thunderbirds with 13 on 5-12 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 3 boards. Kara Spotton added 11 on 4-7 from the floor, 3-4 from the line, 5 boards and 2 steals. Adrienne Parkin notched 10 on 4-8 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 7 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals. Shilpa Khanna added 10 on 3-9 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 5 boards. Diana Lee added 8 on 3-14 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 2 boards and 4 assists. Cherub Lum added 4 on 2-8 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 0-4 from the line, 3 boards and 2 steals. Susan Thompson added 3 on 3-4 from the line and 3 boards. Krysten Lindquist added 3 on 1-1 from the arc, while Andrea Strujic was scoreless, while nabbing 4 boards, dished 3 assists and pilfered 2 balls. The Thunderbirds hit 22-60 (.367) from the floor, 9-23 (.391) from the arc and 9-16 (.563) from the line, while garnering 37 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 13 steals, 3 blocks, 13 turnovers and 13 fouls. Kayli Sartori paced the Cascades with 17 on 6-15 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc, 2-4 from the line, 12 boards and 4 assists. Shayna Cameron added 10 on 4-12 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 3 boards and 4 assists. Kaitlyn McDonald added 6 on 2-2 from the arc and 3 boards. Sydney Williams scored 6 on 2-8 from the floor, 2-7 from the arc, 5 boards and 2 assists. Katie Brink notched 4 on 2-8 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 0-1 from the line, 5 boards and 2 steals. Hailey Kendall added 3 on 1-3 from the floor and 1-2 from the arc. Taylor Claggett added 2 on 1-5 from the floor, 0-4 from the line, 8 boards and 2 assists, while Kate Head was scoreless, while nabbing 2 boards. The Cascades hit 18-54 (.333) from the floor, 9-23 (.391) from the arc and 3-11 (.273) from the line, while garnering 45 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 6 steals, 2 blocks, 26 turnovers and 16 fouls. …………………………………………………… In game two, U.B.C. completed the series sweep by edging Fraser Valley 84-78 in overtime. The Cascades led 21-19 after one quarter. The Thunderbirds led 41-38 at the half and 61-55 after three quarters. The scored was knotted at 76 after regulation. The teams traded runs throughout the match, with U.B.C. capping it off with an 8-2 run in overtimes. “I’m really proud of the girls’ effort tonight,” said Cascades coach Al Tuchscherer. “I thought it was a good bounce-back game for them. UBC came out really strong tonight, and we could have packed it in then. But I thought we regrouped, and we just battled all night long. It’s never fun to lose games, but when the girls compete that hard, you can’t be anything but just proud.” U.B.C. opened with a 7-0 run and led 15-5 early. But the Cascades responded with a 12-2 run, sparked by four points apiece from rookies Taylor Claggett and Kate Head, to take a slim lead after one quarter. UBC reeled off a 12-0 run of their own to go up 31-23, but the Cascades rallied within three at the half. The T-Birds scored six straight points to end the third quarter up 61-55, but the Cascades clawed back once again behind a pair of three-pointers from Sydney Williams and a series of dynamic drives to the hoop by Shayna Cameron. In the final minute, Kayli Sartori worked around a double-team in the post to lay the ball in, and UFV led 76-73 with 32.7 seconds left. On the next UBC possession, Adrienne Parkin missed her initial shot, but wrestled down the rebound and laid it back in with 22 seconds remaining. A Sartori inbounds pass to Cameron was poked away, and Cameron picked up a foul in the ensuing scramble. Shilpa Khanna made the first free throw to tie it up 76-76. She missed the second and Sartori raced down the court and drove to the hoop, but her finger roll rimmed out. The T-Birds’ defence stymied the Cascades in OT, and Jessica Hanson scored four of her team’s eight points in the extra session. “Both teams were giving it everything they had, and both teams were quite fatigued at the end,” UBC coach Deb Huband said. “It was a real gut-check, I think. I’m really proud of my girls, the way they battled . . . We found a way to force the overtime, and then come up with some good defensive possessions. Fraser Valley gave us everything today, and I think the game could have gone either way. They were very close to forcing a Game 3, which wouldn’t have surprised me. I’m just happy that two is enough, and Sunday’s a day off.” Tuchscherer said “I think we played at our pace a lot more today. We made a concentrated effort to push the ball through the middle of the floor, and I think that kept their defence off-balance a bit. It was just a real different game from both teams, I think. Defensively, I thought we were OK, but they had some good players in Spotton, who stepped up tonight and was a real handful. And Jess Hanson’s going to be a heck of a player.” Cameron said “we fought right to the end, and we’re not leaving with any regrets. I left it all out there tonight, and I know every other girl on this team did too. I’m not happy I’ve got to leave, but I’m happy I got to finish with this group of girls today. I’m just so proud of each and every one on this team. They’re my family. They made me who I am today.” Kara Spotton paced the Thunderbirds with 20 on 6-20 from the floor, 8-9 from the arc, 8 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Cherub Lum added 14 on 5-18 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 3-5 from the line and 12 boards. Jessica Hanson notched 14 on 3-8 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 7-7 from the line, 6 boards and 2 assists. Diana Lee scored 13 on 5-11 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc, 3 boards and 7 assists. Adrienne Parkin added 12 on 6-13 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 11 boards. Andrea Strujic added 4 on 2-2 from the floor, 0-2 from the line and 8 boards. Shilpa Khanna added 3 on 1-2 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 2 steals. Krysten Lindquist added 2 and Susan Thompson 2. The Thunderbirds hit 30-76 (.395) from the floor, 5-12 (.417) from the arc and 19-25 (.760) from the line, while garnering 53 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 8 steals, 1 block, 15 turnovers and 17 fouls. Taylor Claggett paced the Cascades with 18 on 6-12 from the floor, 6-11 from the line and 9 boards. Kayli Sartori added 16 on 6-19 from the floor, 0-4 from the arc, 6-6 from the line, 14 boards, 2 assists and 5 steals. Shayna Cameron added 14 on 7-18 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 7 boards and 4 assists. Sydney Williams notched 14 on 5-13 from the floor, 3-9 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 4 boards. Kate Head added 8 on 4-6 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 5 boards and 4 assists. Katie Brink added 6 on 2-9 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 4 boards, while Kaitlyn McDonald was scoreless. The Cascades hit 30-77 (.390) from the floor, 3-17 (.176) from the arc and 15-21 (.714) from the line, while garnering 48 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 8 steals, 17 turnovers and 18 fouls. The Cascades (coach Al Tuchscherer, assistant Sean Bosko, assistant Chantel Ewert) also included Natajia McMillan, Kendra Arnold, Shayna Litman, Jenika Bannerman, Hailey Kendall, Danielle Vanbergen, Amelia Worrell and Amanda Thompson.

In the other opening round series, the 7th-seeded Victoria Vikes (5th, Pioneer) defeated the 10th-seeded Trinity Western Spartans (7th, Pioneer) 84-69; 79-84; 62-44 (2g-1). …………………………………………………… In game one, Victoria prevailed 84-69 after leading 26-18, 38-36 and 63-54 at the quarters. “(Trinity Western) is a smart, aggressive team that didn’t give us the same looks twice in a row all game,” said Vikes coach Dani Sinclair. “We had to switch things up and our girls executed well. At times we were a bit soft on the dribble, but that’s a result of the Spartans playing tough defence against us.” The Vikes ripped off a 9-0 run at the start of the second half to take command. They soon had the lead in double digits and coasted to the win. “We’ve had some games where we haven’t shot well from the perimeter,” said Sinclair. “When we get that inside-out play our girls are able to make the difference.” Spartans coach Cheryl-Jean Paul said “we battled hard tonight and dealt with our play-off nerves well but to win play-off games you have to be able to string multiple stops in a row – we didn’t make that happen in the stretches required in the second half. I’m proud of the work this group has put into getting us to this point and look forward to seeing how they respond to tomorrow’s opportunity. There is still room to learn more about what we’re made of and how we need to continue to grow to get to where we want to as a program and as individuals. It’s not easy preparing for the unknown and now that we’ve gotten that out of the way we will make adjustments and get ready for game two.” Jenna Bugiardini paced the Vikes with 26 on 10-20 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 6-6 from the line, 11 boards and 4 assists. Kristy Gallagher added 20 on 8-14 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 3 boards and 3 assists. Amira Giannattasio added 14 on 4-11 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 5 boards and 2 assists. Nicole Karstein notched 13 on 6-12 from the floor, 1-4 from the line, 14 boards and 3 blocks. Jenna Krug added 11 on 3-6 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 4-6 from the line, 3 boards and 4 assists, while Brittani Yee, Emily Jentsch and Marissa Dheensaw were scoreless. Jentsch nabbed 3 boards and Dheensaw 2. The Vikes hit 31-65 (.477) from the floor, 7-12 (.583) from the arc and 15-21 (.714) from the line, while garnering 46 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 4 steals, 3 blocks, 10 turnovers and 14 fouls. Tessa Ratzlaff paced the Spartans with 22 on 11-20 from the floor, 6 boards and 2 steals. Kayla Gordon added 20 on 7-14 from the floor, 6-9 from the line, 9 boards and 3 assists. Jessie Brown added 15 on 6-19 from the floor, 2-8 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists. Natalie Carkner added 4 on 2-6 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 3 boards and 2 steals. Luca Schmidt added 4 on 2-8 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 7 boards, 8 assists and 3 steals. Kristin Ford added 4 on 2-4 from the floor and 2 boards, while Jamie Andrew Stobart, Ashleigh Barnes and Breanna Cabuco were scoreless. The Spartans hit 30-71 (.423) from the floor, 2-12 (.167) from the arc and 7-11 (.636) from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 15 assists, 8 steals, 2 blocks, 8 turnovers and 18 fouls. …………………………………………………… In game two, the Spartans evened the series by edging Victoria 84-79 on a blistering outing from guard Jessie Brown. “That was an incredible experience for our program! To win such a closely contested battle in someone else’s gym with the series on the line takes such a level of maturity and our group really rose to that challenge,” said Spartans coach Cheryl Jean-Paul. “We’ve talked about breaking through adversity and getting over mental hurdles all season, and to see such composure with the game going back and forth is definitely worth all the tough lessons we’ve had to learn. Victoria has some tremendously gifted athletes, so to be able to counterpunch their offensive attacks was exciting to witness and for our athletes to take in. We’re looking forward to an even greater challenge tomorrow and again see what we’re all about.” Vikes coach Dani Sinclair said “they played gritty and tough and outworked us tonight. We’ll have to show what we’re made of tomorrow and sustaining a full 40-minute effort will be crucial. They’ve had a lot of spirit on their side and we’ll need to match that intensity.” The Vikings ripped off a 7-0 run as they built and early 17-8 lead and then extended the margin to 11 after one quarter. But they went scoreless for the first 3:37 of the second quarter as the Spartans reduced the lead to three. After Marissa Dheensaw hit a three for the Vikes, Spartan guard Luca Schmidt notched a lay-up for the Spartans at the buzzer to close the score to 35-31. The Spartans took their first lead of the game when Jessie Brown hit her fourth trey of the night to put Trinity Western ahead 41-39. After trading leads multiple times, Jenna Krug put the Vikes back in front 50-47 with a trey with four minutes left in the quarter. Another buzzer beater, this time for three, from Schmidt reduced the Vikes’ lead to 59-56. Turnovers began to catch up with the Vikes in the fourth quarter, leading to Trinity Western taking their largest lead of four at 65-61. Down 82-79 with 20 seconds on the clock, a missed Gallagher three was picked up by the Vikes again, but Giannattasio’s last second three went wide before the Vikes fouled Brown. The Spartans buried two from the line to ice the win. Jessie Brown paced the Spartans with 34 on 12-22 from the floor, 6-10 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 7 boards and 3 steals. Tessa Ratzlaff added 14 on 7-13 from the floor, 0-2 from the line and 9 boards. Kayla Gordon added 13 on 4-11 from the floor, 5-6 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists. Luca Schmidt scored 10 on 3-5 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc, 2-6 from the line and 5 assists. Natalie Carkner scored 6 on 2-6 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 0-4 from the line and 2 steals. Kristin Ford added 4 on 1-2 from the floor, 2-4 from the line and 3 steals. Breanna Cabuco added 3 on 1-1 from the floor and 1-2 from the line, while Jamie Andrews Stobart and Ashleigh Barnes were scoreless. The Spartans hit 30-60 from the floor, 10-17 (.588) from the arc and 14-28 from the line, while garnering 29 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 10 steals, 9 turnovers and 20 fouls. Jenna Bugiardini paced the Thunderbirds with 27 on 10-17 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 6-7 from the line, 13 boards and 4 assists. Nicole Karstein added 16 on 8-14 from the floor and 7 boards. Amira Giannattasio added 13 on 5-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Kristy Gallagher added 13 on 4-7 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 2 boards and 2 assists. Marissa Dheensaw added 7 on 3-6 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 0-4 from the line and 3 boards. Jenna Krug added 3 on 1-3 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 3 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals, while Brittani Yee, Emily Jentsch and Katie Langdon were scoreless. The Vikes hit 31-57 (.544) from the floor, 4-11 (.364) from the arc and 13-19 (.684) from the line, while garnering 37 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 10 assists, 5 steals, 1 block, 16 turnovers and 19 fouls. …………………………………………………… In game three, Victoria whipped Trinity Western 62-44 to take the series as Nicole Karstein notched a double-double. The Vikes’ defence was solid but their offence erratic, said coach Dani Sinclair. “The second quarter hadn’t been good to us all series but today we were a lot better defensively. “We were able to hold them off offensively in the second when our own offence was struggling and that was especially important today. We had some girls come off the bench and play an important role for us when some other players got into foul trouble.” Jessie Brown hit her first three of the game to tie the score early 10-10 before the Vikes utilized the quick transition to go on an eight-point run to lead 18-10. The Vikes led 24-14 after the first quarter. The Vikes failed to score for 7:39 after Brittani Yee hit a jumper to make it 28-14 for the Vikes. Two consecutive threes from Brown and an eight-point run from the Spartans during that span helped close the gap to four before Karstein added two of her 12 first half points to end the Vikes’ points drought. They led 30-26 at the half. Both teams struggled on offence early in the second half and both found themselves in foul trouble. But the Vikes ripped off a 9-0 run to take a 43-37 lead after three quarters. Ratzlaff opened the final frame for the Spartans with two offensive rebounds before burying a long two to keep Trinity Western within reach. Amira Giannattasio hit a trey before taking her fifth and final foul and being forced to the bench with the Vikes ahead 50-42 with 4:36 remaining. The Vikes notched 10-0 run to close out the affair. Nicole Karstein paced the Vikes with 20 on 8-17 from the floor, 4-4 from the line, 16 boards, 3 steals and 6 blocks. Jenna Bugiardini added 17 on 6-11 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 5-8 from the line and 5 boards. Kristy Gallagher added 10 on 3-12 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 4-4 from the line and 6 boards. Amira Giannattasio added 9 on 4-9 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc and 3 boards. Jenna Krug added 4 on 1-7 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 5 boards and 4 assists. Brittani Yee added 2 on 1-3 from the floor and 2 boards, while Emily Jentsch, Marissa Dheensaw and Katie Langdon were scoreless. Dheensaw nabbed 5 boards. The Vikes hit 23-59 (.390) from the floor, 1-10 from the arc and 15-18 (.833) from the line, while garnering 51 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 7 assists, 6 steals, 7 blocks, 14 turnovers and 18 fouls. Jessie Brown led the Spartans with 15 on 5-16 from the floor, 3-10 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 2 assists and 2 steals. Kayla Gordon added 13 on 6-15 from the floor, 1-1 from the line, 10 boards and 2 assists. Tessa Ratzlaff added 10 on 4-10 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 9 boards and 3 assists. Luca Schmidt scored 4 on 1-7 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-6 from the line and 6 boards. Natalie Carkner scored 2 on 0-12 from the floor, 0-8 from the arc and 2-2 from the line, while Jamie Andrews Stobart, Kristin Ford and Breanna Cabuco were scoreless. Ford nabbed 4 boards. The Spartans hit 16-65 (.246) from the floor, 3-20 (.150) from the arc and 9-13 (.692) from the line, while garnering 37 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 7 assists, 6 steals, 1 block, 13 turnovers and 17 fouls. The Spartans (coach Cheryl Jean-Paul, assistant Joel Ditson, assistant Lisa Isaak, assistant Sarah Cameron, apprentice Sean Zhang) also included Nathania Takyi, Alicia Unruh, Mariah Perry, Ashleigh Barnes, Simran Grewal and Sarah Buckingham.

In the quarterfinals, the top-seeded Saskatchewan Huskies (1st, Pioneer) defeated the 9th-seeded University of British Columbia Thunderbirds 77-56; 75-68 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, Saskatchewan dusted U.B.C. 77-56. The Huskies opened with a 7-0 run, and led 19-10 after one quarter. They led 34-21 on a buzzer-beating trey by Desarae Hogberg. They opened the second half with a 12-7 run and led 59-38 after three quarters. Kelsey Trulsrud led the Huskies with 18 on 7-11 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 11 boards and 2 assists. Dalyce Emmerson added 14 n 6-13 from the floor, 2-4 from the line, 10 boards and 2 blocks. Megan Lindquist added 12 on 5-10 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc and 5 boards. Laura Dally added 10 on 3-8 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 5 boards and 2 assists. Sabine Dukate added 10 on 5-11 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc and 5 assists Desarae Hogberg scored 5 on 2-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 8 boards and 2 assists. Megan Ahlstrom added 3 on 1-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 2 boards. Taya Keujer added 3 on 1-7 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 3 boards. Madeline Humbert added 2 on 0-1 from the floor and 2-2 from the line, while Sascha Lichtenwald, Kassidy Konkin and Vera Crooks were scoreless. Lichtenwald and Konkin each nabbed 2 boards. The Huskies hit 30-82 (.366) from the floor, 6-17 (.353) from the arc and 11-16 (.688) from the line, while garnering 50 boards, including 24 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 7 steals, 6 blocks, 9 turnovers and 12 fouls. Adrienne Parkin led the Thunderbirds with 15 on 6-15 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc, 7 boards and 3 assists. Krysten Lindquist added 8 on 3-4 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc and 2 assists. Cherub Lum notched 7 on 3-9 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 1-1 from the line and 2 boards. Kara Spotton scored 7 on 2-8 from the floor, 3-3 from the line and 5 boards. Jessica Hanson added 7 on 1-2 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc and 4-4 from the line. Andrea Strujic scored 6 on 3-4 from the floor, 0-2 from the line and 2 boards. Diana Lee added 4 on 2-9 from the floor, 0-4 from the arc, 4 boards and 2 assists. Susan Thompson scored 2 on 1-2 from the floor and 4 boards, while Shilpa Khanna and Chelsea Hamming were scoreless. Khanna nabbed 2 boards. The Thunderbirds hit 21-57 (.368) from the floor, 6-15 (.400) from the arc and 8-10 from the line, while garnering 27 boards, including 5 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 1 steal, 4 blocks, 17 turnovers and 12 fouls. …………………………………………………… In game two, Saskatchewan completed the series sweep by clipping U.B.C. 75-68. The Thunderbirds led 20-15 after one quarter and 35-33 at the half. The Huskies opened the second half with a 6-0 run to take the lead and then the teams kept trading the lead. The Huskies led 54-50 after three quarters. U.B.C. took a five-point lead with 3:33 to play. After Laura Dally’s jumper came off the rim, guard Desarae Hogberg fought for the loose rebound and converted down low to cut the deficit to just three. On the next possession, Kelsey Truslrud intercepted a pass and took it the other way for a layup plus the foul, converting the and one to tie it up. Back-to-back baskets by Sabine Dukate and a pair of Hogberg free throws helped the Huskies close the game on a 12-0 run. Sabine Dukate paced the Huskies with 20 on 8-18 from the floor, 3-7 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 2 boards and 2 steals. Dalyce Emmerson added 15 on 7-14 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 13 boards and 2 assists. Kelsey Trulsrud added 15 on 7-14 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 12 boards, 3 assists and 4 steals. Laura Dally added 14 on 6-14 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Desarae Hogberg added 6 on 2-8 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-4 from the line and 3 boards. Megan Lindquist added 3 on 1-1 from the arc. Megan Ahlstrom added 2, while Madeline Humbert, Sascha Lichtenwald and Taja Keujer were scoreless. Keujer nabbed 2 boards. The Huskies hit 32-79 (.405) from the floor, 4-13 (.308) from the arc and 7-11 (.636) from the line, while garnering 42 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 8 assists, 8 steals, 1 block, 5 turnovers and 10 fouls. Kara Spotton paced the Thunderbirds with 17 on 7-16 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 8 boards. Adrienne Parkin added 17 on 7-13 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 11 boards and 2 assists. Diana Lee added 16 on 7-13 from the floor, 2-6 from the arc, 3 boards and 2 assists. Andrea Strujic added 6 on 3-5 from the floor and 3 boards. Cherub Lum added 5 on 2-6 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, and 4 boards. Krysten Lindquist added 3 on 1-2 from the floor and 1-2 from the line. Jessica Hanson added 2 on 0-3 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 assists. Susan Thompson added 2, while Shilpa Khanna and Kamila Wojciechowski were scoreless. Khanna nabbed 2 boards. The Thunderbirds hit 28-59 (.475) from the floor, 4-10 from the arc and 8-12 from the line, while garnering 39 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 8 assists, 1 steal, 4 blocks, 12 turnovers and 10 fouls. The Thunderbirds (coach Deb Huband, assistant Carrie Watts, assistant Jim Day, trainer Christine Thomas, trainer Eric Tsai) also included Kiana Lalonde and Chelsea Hamming.

The 4th-seeded Alberta Pandas (3rd, Pioneer) defeated the 5th-seeded Thompson Rivers Wolfpack (2nd, Explorer) 77-48; 62-56 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, Alberta dusted Thompson Rivers 77-48 after leading 21-14, 43-23 and 64-34 at the quarters. The Pandas opened with an 8-0 run, with Jessilyn Fairbanks scoring four and the Wolfpack shooting 0-6. The Pandas soon had the lead in double figures and took total command in the second quarters as Fairbanks pilfered the ball for a runout layup to give Alberta a 16-point lead. The Wolfpack hit two treys early in the second half to cut the lead to 16 but the Pandas answered with a 6-0 run as their full-court pressure hounded Thompson Rivers into repeated miscues. The Wolfpack never threatened. Wolfpack coach Scott Reeves said “we just don’t compete at a level needed to win a playoff series in Canada West. We work hard all year long and should be playing our best basketball but tonight we took a step backwards. Alberta is a very good, disciplined team in what they run and we have to be way sharper on both sides of the basketball tomorrow to make this a series.” Megan Wickstrom paced the Pandas with 22 on 8-13 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 5-5 from the line, 4 boards and 2 steals. Jessilyn Fairbanks added 15 on 6-17 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 9 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals. Elle Hendershot notched 10 on 4-6 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 10 boards and 2 assists. Maddie Rogers added 8 on 2-5 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 4-6 from the line, 5 boards, 7 assists and 2 steals. Renee Byrne added 6 on 2-2 from the arc. Megan Tywoniuk scored 5 on 2-5 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 2 boards. Brooklyn Legault notched 4 on 1-3 from the floor, 2-4 from the line, 5 boards and 2 steals. Briana Carlyon added 2 on 1-3 from the floor and 4 boards. Arianne Sakundiak notched 2 on 1-2 from the floor and 2 steals. Tess Heinricks added 2, and Marina Marcichiw 1, while Sydney Kumar was scoreless. The Pandas hit 27-60 (.450) from the floor, 5-16 (.313) from the arc and 18-23 (.783) from the line, while garnering 45 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 17 assists, 13 steals, 21 turnovers and 12 fouls. Taiysa Worsfold paced the Wolfpack with 13 on 6-14 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc and 3 boards. Michelle Bos added 10 on 5-9 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 7 boards. Jordan MacLean notched 6 on 3-11 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 0-2 from the line, 11 boards and 3 steals. Kassie Colonna added 5 on 2-7 from the floor and 1-2 from the line. Emma Piggin scored 4 on 2-8 from the floor, 0-6 from the arc, 3 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals. Leilani Carney added 4 on 1-5 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists. Madeline Neumann added 3 on 1-2 from the floor and 1-1 from the arc. Emily Vilac added 3 on 1-4 from the arc and 2 boards, while Sarah Malate, Chelsea Hoey, Kanesha Reevees and Shenise Sigsworth were scoreless. Sigsworth nabbed 4 boards, Hoey 3 and Reeves 2. Malate dished 2 assists. The Wolfpack hit 21-72 (.292) from the floor, 4-28 (.143) from the arc and 2-8 from the line, while garnering 42 boards, including 20 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 11 steals, 2 blocks, 25 turnovers and 17 fouls. …………………………………………………… In game two, Alberta took the series with a 62-56 win as guard Jessilyn Fairbanks scored 16 in the second half. Alberta’s crisp ball movement led to an early 12-4 lead. But the Wolfpack countered with a 7-0 run and then Michelle Bos nailed a trey to draw the Wolfpack within 16-13 after one quarter. Alberta went ice cold from the field in the second quarter but hit just enough free throws to remain within 25-23 at the half. Fairbanks notched a putback, a dazzling layup and a trey as the Pandas regained the lead. But Taiysa Worsfold hit a trey and two layups to give the Wolfpack a 46-43 lead after three quarters. Fairbanks countered with a bucket and a corner trey to open the final quarter, and then hit a layup that gave the Pandas a five-point lead with three minutes to play. Maddie Rogers iced the win with a pair of free throws. Wolfpack coach Scott Reeves said “I was really proud of our girls in how they competed after a tough loss last night. There are some great people in our program and their character showed tonight.” Jessilyn Fairbanks paced the Pandas with 23 on 9-19 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 4 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Maddie Rogers added 16 on 6-13 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 6 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Elle Hendershot added 8 on 3-9 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 12 boards. Megan Wickstrom added 8 on 3-15 from the floor, 0-6 from the arc, 2-3 from the line, 3 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Renee Byrne notched 4 on 1-8 from the floor, 0-4 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 steals. Briana Carlyon added 3 on 1-1 from the floor, 1-1 from the line, 5 boards and 3 steals, while Brooklyn Legault, Tess Heinricks, Megan Tywoniuk and Arianne Sakundiak were scoreless. Legault nabbed 6 boards. The Pandas hit 23-69 (.333) from the floor, 3-19 (.158) from the arc and 13-16 (.813) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 10 assists, 11 steals, 4 blocks, 13 turnovers and 14 fouls. Kassie Colonna paced the Wolfpack with 20 on 7-15 from the floor, 6-7 from the line and 5 boards. Taiysa Worsfold added 15 on 6-10 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 1-3 from the line, 8 boards and 2 steals. Michelle Bos added 12 on 5-14 from the floor, 2-7 from the arc, 0-1 from the line, 7 boards and 2 assists. Emma Piggin added 4 on 1-10 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 2 boards and 3 assists. Jordan MacLean added 4 on 2-5 from the floor and 8 boards. Leilani Carney added 1, while Sarah Malate, Chelsea Hoey, Kanesha Reeves, Emily Vilac and Shenise Sigsworth were scoreless. Sigsworth nabbed 2 boards. The Wolfpack hit 21-59 (.356) from the floor, 5-17 (.294) from the arc and 9-15 (.600) from the line, while garnering 42 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 8 assists, 5 steals, 22 turnovers and 17 fouls. The Wolfpack (coach Scott Reeves, assistant Chuck Ferguson, assistant Cindy Russell, assistant Winston Brown, assistant Jorri Duxbury) also included Jenna Quinton, Madeline Neumann and Angela Clarke.

The 2nd-seeded MacEwan Griffins (1st, Explorer) defeated the 7th-seeded Victoria Vikes 78-77; 77-62 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, MacEwan clipped Victoria 78-69. The Vikes opened an early six-point lead but the Griffins notched a pair of 5-0 runs to tie the score at 16. After a Vikes basket, New Zealand guard Kelly O’Hallahan hit a trey at the buzzer to give MacEwan a 19-18 lead after one quarter. The Griffins defence took command in the second quarter as they built a 37-32 lead. MacEwan extended the lead to 57-45 after three quarters and matched Victoria bucket for bucket through most of the fourth. “We persevered against a very good Victoria team tonight, our execution in third quarter provided the cushion we might have needed in the fourth,” said Griffins coach David Oldham. Kelly Fagan was chosen player of the game for the Griffins. Vikes coach Dani Sinclair, who gave birth to her third son in the morning, said “we were simply outcompeted by a very good team tonight, and you can’t do that in someone else’s gym. We allowed them to go to their strengths and were caught watching for most parts of the game.” Megan Wood led the Griffins with 23 on 10-20 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 1-3 from the line, 2 boards and 5 assists. Kelly O’Hallahan added 15 on 6-9 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc, 6 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals. Kendall Lydon added 13 on 5-16 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc, 2 boards and 8 assists. Paige Knull notched 11 on 3-7 from the floor, 5-5 from the line, 4 boards and 3 assists. Kelly Fagan added 10 on 5-12 from the floor, 13 boards, 7 assists and 2 steals. Kayla Ivicak added 4 on 2-6 from the floor, 8 boards and 3 assists. Karolina Wieczorek added 2, while Alyssa Bridgeman, Brielle Wise, Kerilynn MacLennan and Alex Lauber were scoreless. Bridgeman dished 2 assists. The Griffins hit 32-74 (.432) from the floor, 8-19 (.421) from the arc and 6-8 from the line, while garnering 47 boards, including 19 on the offensive glass, 30 assists, 7 steals, 1 block, 14 turnovers and 14 fouls. Jenna Bugiardini paced the Vikes with 29 on 11-24 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 6-8 from the line, 14 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Kristy Gallagher added 18 on 7-12 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 2 boards and 2 steals. Jenna Krug added 9 on 2-2 from the floor, 5-6 from the line, 3 boards and 5 assists. Nicole Karstein added 9 on 4-11 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 9 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Amira Giannattasio added 4 on 1-12 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists, while Brittani Yee, Emily Jentsch and Marissa Dheensaw were scoreless. Dheensaw nabbed 4 boards. The Vikes hit 25-64 (.391) from the floor, 4-13 (.308) from the arc and 15-19 from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 15 assists, 7 steals, 2 blocks, 17 turnovers and 10 fouls. …………………………………………………… In game two, the Griffins completed the series sweep by pounding Victoria 77-62. The teams traded 6-0 run at the start and exchanged the lead until Kelly O’Hallahan hit a jumper to give MacEwan a 17-16 lead after one quarter. The Griffins opened the second quarter with a 7-0 run but the Vikes to within 39-36 at the half. The Griffins extended their lead to double digits in the third quarter but the Vikes ripped off an 8-0 run to draw within two before MacEwan regained a 56-52 lead after three quarters. MacEwan dominated the final frame. “Our minds were set on this, the fifth-year players wanted to go out winning on our home court. We worked our bums off all year, again I am very happy for my teammates especially our seniors,” said Megan Wood. Griffins coach Dave Oldham said “I am very proud of everyone involved with the program. The success we enjoyed all year comes from the work done over a number of years from Coach Rob Poole, the MacEwan University Griffins women’s basketball alumni association support and from the school.” Vikes coach Dani Sinclair said Kristy Gallagher “is in some ways a first year in terms of minutes and her progression has been amazing this season. What I like the most about her is that she plays with a lot of passion, wants to be coached and is hungry to improve every game. … Hats off to MacEwan as they did what they needed to do,” said Sinclair. “We had a little bit more fight in us tonight but fell short. We had to be a lot better than last night to beat them with our backs against the wall. … There was a point in January where we took some bad losses and we were worried about growth. In the past six weeks I thought we showed that necessary resilience needed to compete with the league’s best.” Megan Wood paced the Griffins with 34 on 11-25 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 11-14 from the line, 6 boards and 2 steals. Kendall Lydon added 16 on 5-13 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 5-9 from the line, 3 boards, 7 assists and 2 steals. Kelly O’Hallahan added 9 on 4-11 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 0-4 from the line, 6 boards, 5 assists and 3 blocks. Paige Knull added 9 on 3-7 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 3-5 from the line, 4 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Kelly Fagan added 9 on 4-9 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 15 boards, 7 assists, 2 steals and 5 blocks. Kayla Ivicak and Alex Lauber were scoreless. Ivicak nabbed 6 boards. The Griffins hit 27-68 (.397) from the floor, 3-18 (.167) from the arc and 20-34 (.588) from the line, while garnering 53 boards, including 24 on the offensive glass, 23 assists, 9 steals, 8 blocks, 13 turnovers and 11 fouls. Kristy Gallagher led the Vikes with 22 on 8-19 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 5-5 from the line, 4 boards and 3 assists. Jenna Krug added 10 on 4-9 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 4 boards and 4 assists. Amira Giannattasio added 9 on 3-5 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 2 boards and 2 steals. Jenna Bugiardini added 9 on 3-18 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 11 boards and 4 assists. Nicole Karstein added 8 on 3-10 from the floor, 2-4 from the line, 7 boards, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Marissa Dheensaw added 4 on 2-2 from the floor, 5 boards and 2 steals, while Brittani Yee and Emily Jentsch were scoreless. Jentsch nabbed 2 boards. The Vikes hit 23-68 (.338) from the floor, 3-18 (.167) from the arc and 13-17 (.765) from the line, while garnering 51 boards, including 20 on the offensive glass, 15 assists, 6 steals, 2 blocks, 16 turnovers and 26 fouls. The Vikes (coach Dani Sinclair, assistant Leanne Evans, assistant Brett Westcott, student trainer Navnita Gautam, manager Gen Simmons, assistant manager Allison Ilg) also included Morgan Roskelley, Avery Snider, Ashley McGinnis, Katie Langdon, Paige Thomson and Andrea Psotka.

In the last quarterfinal, the 3rd-seeded Regina Cougars (2nd, Pioneer) defeated the 6th-seeded Calgary Dinos (4th, Pioneer) 69-55; 65-59 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, Regina dominated the fourth quarter en route to a 69-55 win. Calgary took its only lead of the game after going on a 7-0 run in the third quarter, but the Cougars quickly recovered with a 6-0 run and pulled away down the stretch. Calgary went scoreless for four minutes in the final frame, while Regina ripped off a 13-0 run, capped by a Katie Polischuk trey, and led by as many as 18. “Tonight looked like two teams that were coming off a bye weekend,” said Cougars coach Dave Taylor. “The game looked nothing like the two games we had three weeks ago in Calgary – both teams looked rusty, but we were able to hit a couple of key shots to put it away late. I expect both teams to be much better tomorrow night.” Regina led 14-5 early and 20-11 after one quarter. They extended their margin to double digits but the Dinos rallied within 34-26 at the half. The Cougars led 49-44 after three quarters. Charlotte Kot paced the Cougars with 22 on 10-11 from the floor, 2-4 from the line, 6 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Sidney Dobner added 19 on 9-16 from the floor, 1-1 from the line, 3 boards and 4 assists. Alyssia Kajati added 12 on 5-10 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 10 boards. Christina McCusker added 6 on 2-4 from the floor, 2-5 from the line and 4 boards. Katie Polischuk added 5 on 1-9 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 2-4 from the line, 7 boards and 2 steals. Kehlsie Crone added 3 on 1-6 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 3 boards and 3 assists. Michael Kleisinger added 2, while Avery Pearce, Caitlin Zacharias, Sara Hubenig, Britton Belyk and Alexi Rowden were scoreless. Belyk nabbed 3 boards and Hubenig 2, while also pilfering 2 balls. The Cougars hit 28-61 (.459) from the floor, 2-8 from the arc and 11-18 from the line, while garnering 39 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 7 steals, 4 blocks, 18 turnovers and 24 fouls. Kristie Sheils led the Dinos with 13 on 5-12 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 4 boards and 2 steals. Kelsey Lund added 11 on 4-6 from the floor, 3-6 from the line and 2 boards. Brianna Ghali added 10 on 2-5 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 6-12 from the line and 3 boards. Anmol Mattu added 7 on 2-7 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 3 boards and 2 steals. Claire Colborne added 5 on 2-13 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 15 boards and 2 assists. Jenna Spruyt added 4 on 1-1 from the floor and 2-3 from the line. Erin McIntosh added 3 on 1-2 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 2 boards. Emma Nieuwenhuizen added 2 on 0-3 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 steals, while Vanessa Wesolowski, Emily Morales, Ashley Hirons and Freya Szmidt were scoreless. Szmidt nabbed 2 boards. The Dinos hit 17-56 (.304) from the floor, 2-12 (.167) from the arc and 19-31 (.613) from the line, while garnering 39 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 5 assists, 12 steals, 2 blocks, 18 turnovers and 18 fouls. …………………………………………………… In game two, Regina completed the series sweep by defeating Calgary 65-59. The Cougars led by double digits for most of the second half until Calgary notched a 6-0 run to draw with five with three minutes to play. The Dinos made it a one-possession game on an Emma Nieuwenhuizen trey with a minute to go, but Kehlsie Crone sealed the win with five late free throws for the Cougars. “I thought we were pretty solid defensively all weekend, especially rebounding the ball which was critical for us,” said Cougars coach Dave Taylor. “We made some shots and free throws down the stretch when we needed to. It was nice to be able to get it done in two games so we can have tomorrow off, as do all the other teams heading into next weekend.” Calgary took an early 10-3 lead but the Cougars scored the final seven points of the first quarter, capped by a Katie Polischuk trey, to take a 12-11 lead. The Cougars took the lead for good with a 10-0 run in the second quarter and Polischuk hit a trey at the buzzer to give them a 33-21 lead heading into the lockers. Regina led 48-37 after three quarters but Kelsey Lund rallied the Dinos with back-to-back buckets. Regina called timeout and then Regina’s Sidney Dobner and Calgary’s Emma Nieuwenhuizen took command. Dobner hit jumpers on three consecutive possessions, but Nieuwenhuizen responded with 10 of her 15 points in the span of just over a minute in the closing moments of the game. But her last trey that made it 62-59 for Regina with a minute to go was immediately followed by a Crone free throw to make it a two-possession game and after several missed shots by Calgary, Crone hit two more freebies with 16 seconds left to ice the win. Sidney Dobner paced the Cougars with 14 on 6-13 from the floor, 2-4 from the line, 11 boards, 2 assists and 4 steals. Charlotte Kot added 12 on 5-9 from the floor, 2-4 from the line and 8 boards. Kehlsie Crone added 8 on 1-7 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 5-6 from the line and 3 assists. Christina McCusker notched 8 on 3-4 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 3 boards and 3 blocks. Katie Polischuk added 6 on 2-10 from the floor, 2-7 from the arc, 9 boards and 3 assists. Alyssia Kajati added 6 on 2-6 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 4 boards. Michaela Kleisinger added 5 on 2-2 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc and 3 boards. Sara Hubenig added 4 on 2-5 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 4 boards. Caitlin Zacharias added 2, while Avery Pearce, Britton Belyk and Alexi Rowden were scoreless. Belyk nabbed 3 boards. The Cougars hit 23-58 (.397) from the floor, 4-16 (.250) from the arc and 15-20 (.750) from the line, while garnering 48 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 10 assists, 7 steals, 4 blocks, 18 turnovers and 19 fouls. Emma Nieuwenhuizen paced the Dinos with 15 on 3-8 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 7-8 from the line, 3 boards and 2 steals. Kelsey Lund added 11 on 4-12 from the floor, 3-9 from the line and 9 boards. Claire Colborne added 9 on 3-10 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 2 boards and 2 assists. Anmol Mattu added 7 on 3-7 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 3 boards. Kristie Sheils added 7 on 2-9 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 6 boards and 4 assists. Brianna Ghali added 7 on 3-11 from the floor, 0-5 from the arc, 1-3 from the line, 5 boards, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Ashley Hirons added 3 on 1-2 from the arc, while Vanessa Wesolowski, Freya Szmidt, Erin McIntosh and Jenna Spruyt were scoreless. McIntosh nabbed 4 boards and Wesolowski 3. The Dinos hit 19-65 (.292) from the floor, 5-21 (.238) from the arc and 16-25 (.640) from the line, while garnering 41 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 8 assists, 6 steals, 3 blocks, 14 turnovers and 24 fouls. The Dinos (coach Damian Jennings, assistant Katherine Adams, assistant Matthew Spencer, assistant Erin Allan, assistant Jackson Parker, strength & conditioning Rich Hesketh) also included Shinelle Handzuik, Lindsey Agnew, Olivia Berry, Emily Morales, Chloe Campbell, Laura Costello and Taylor White.

In the Final Four semis, the top-seeded Saskatchewan Huskies qualified for the CIS draw by dispatching the 4th-seeded Alberta Pandas 78-68. The Pandas led 22-18 after one quarter but Huskies point guard Sabine Dukate soon took command and the Huskies led 40-33 at the half and 57-47 after three quarters. Huskies coach Lisa Thomaidis called the win “a relief. We really wanted this one; we want to be playing for a banner tomorrow. To know we’re going to nationals tonight is a great accomplishment.” The Huskies built their lead to 15 in the third quarter. The Pandas closed the gap to 10 heading to the fourth and cut the Huskie lead to just six early in the fourth. But Laura Dally drained a trey with 2:18 to play to ice the win for the Huskies. “These girls have talked all season long; this is what they want. They’re going for two banners. Tomorrow’s one of the goals we’ve set, and there’ll be no problem in terms of getting up for that game,” Thomaidis said. Sabine Dukate paced the Huskies with 29 on 9-15 from the floor, 5-7 from the arc, 6-6 from the line and 6 boards. Kelsey Trulsrud added 16 on 4-8 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 7-10 from the line, 7 boards and 2 assists. Laura Dally added 14 on 5-14 from the floor, 2-6 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 2 boards and 3 assists. Dalyce Emmerson added 9 on 4-8 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 10 boards and 2 assists. Desarae Hogberg added 8 on 2-7 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 7 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Megan Ahlstrom added 2 on 2-2 from the line and 2 boards, while Madeline Humbert, Taya Keujer and Megan Lindquist were scoreless. Humbert nabbed 3 boards and Lindquist 2. The Huskies hit 24-55 (.436) from the floor, 9-17 (.529) from the arc and 21-26 (.808) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 10 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks, 17 turnovers and 17 fouls. Jessilyn Fairbanks led the Pandas with 27 on 10-20 from the floor, 1-7 from the arc, 6-8 from the line, 4 boards and 3 steals. Megan Wickstrom added 12 on 5-10 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 0-2 from the line, 5 boards, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Elle Hendershot added 8 on 4-8 from the floor, 0-1 from the line and 4 boards. Renee Byrne added 8 on 3-6 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc and 3 boards. Brooklyn Legault added 4 on 2-2 from the floor and 3 boards. Megan Tywoniuk scored 3 on 1-4 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 1-5 from the line and 2 boards. Maddie Rogers added 2 on 1-11 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 2 boards and 3 assists. Brianna Carlyon added 2 on 1-3 from the floor and 3 boards. Arianne Sakundiak added 2 on 1-2 from the floor and 2 boards. The Pandas hit 28-66 (.424) from the floor, 5-21 (.238) from the arc and 7-16 (.438) from the line, while garnering 29 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 6 assists, 7 steals, 5 blocks, 12 turnovers and 21 fouls.

In the other semi, the 3rd-seeded Regina Cougars defeated the 2nd-seeded McEwan Griffins 65-59 to qualify for the CIS championships. The Cougars ripped off a 20-4 run in the third quarter as they turned a 2-point deficit into a 14-point lead. The Griffins countered with a 14-4 run to draw within four but Regina then held MacEwan to three points over a six-minute period to pull out the win. The Cougars led 12-8, 28-26 and 52-45 at the quarters. “I was a little disappointed in our first half. I didn’t think we played particularly well, especially on the offensive side of things,” said Cougars coach Dave Taylor. “But I liked how we came out in the second half and made some key stops when we needed to. MacEwan was a bit of an unknown for us, and now we’ll prepare for a team that we’ll definitely have some familiarity with.” Regina’s third-quarter run started after Megan Wood drilled a trey to give MacEwan and 32-30 lead. Six different Cougars scored during the run. MacEwan replied with an 11-2 run that drew the Griffins with four after another Wood three-pointer, but the Cougars clamped down on the defensive end, and rebuilt the lead back to double digits on 5 consecutive points including a trey by Katie Polischuk that put Regina ahead 65-55 with two minutes to play. Griffins coach Dave Oldham said “I am exceptionally proud of the way that we competed tonight. Regina is an incredibly experienced, disciplined, and well coached team.” Charlotte Kot paced the Cougars with 15 on 6-12 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 6 boards. Katie Polischuk added 15 on 5-14 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc, 2-3 from the line, 4 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Alyssia Kajati added 14 on 4-7 from the floor, 6-8 from the line, 9 boards and 2 steals. Kehlsie Crone added 9 on 3-7 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 2 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Sidney Dobner added 6 on 3-12 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 0-1 from the line, 10 boards and 5 assists. Michaela Kleisinger added 3 on 1-1 from the arc and Christina McCusker 3 on 1-2 from the floor and 1-2 from the line, while Sara Hubenig and Britton Belyk were scoreless. Hubenig nabbed 7 boards. The Cougars hit 23-57 (.404) from the floor, 6-19 (.316) from the arc and 13-20 (.650) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 8 steals, 2 blocks, 21 turnovers and 12 fouls. Megan Wood paced the Griffins with 21 on 8-19 from the floor, 3-7 from the arc, 2-4 from the line and 9 boards. Kendall Lydon added 13 on 6-18 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 4 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals. Kelly Fagan added 10 on 5-13 from the floor, 12 boards and 3 assists. Kelly O’Hallahan added 9 on 4-10 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 0-2 from the line, 3 boards, 3 assists and 4 steals. Kayla Ivicak scored 4 on 2-4 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 3 boards. Paige Knull added 2 on 1-6 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 0-1 from the line and 3 boards, while Alyssa Bridgeman and Alex Lauber were scoreless. The Griffins hit 26-70 (.371) from the floor, 5-16 (.313) from the arc and 2-7 (.286) from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 9 steals, 1 block, 16 turnovers and 15 fouls.

In the bronze medal match, the 4th-seeded Alberta Pandas dumped the 2nd-seeded McEwan Griffins 66-55. The Griffins led 18-15 after one quarter and led by three with 2:30 to play in the second when Alberta forced four turnovers and closed out the half with a 10-0 run to take a 36-29 lead at the half. MacEwan countered with an 11-2 run to take a 42-41 lead in the third quarter but the Pandas closed out the quarter strong to take a 53-48 lead. The Pandas led by as many as 12 in the final frame. “Tonight, we executed down the stretch and finished strong after building a lead,” Pandas coach Scott Edwards said. “Having a player like Jessilyn Fairbanks definitely helps you close out games.” Griffins coach David Oldham said “I am exceptionally proud of the way we competed tonight against the Pandas. Alberta is an incredibly experienced, disciplined and well coached team.” Jessilyn Fairbanks led the Pandas with 14 on 4-14 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 6 boards and 6 assists. Megan Wickstrom added 14 on 6-18 from the floor, 2-10 from the arc, 4 boards and 2 steals. Brooklyn Legault scored 11 on 5-7 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 3 boards. Elle Hendershot added 11 on 5-7 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 6 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Maddie Rogers added 8 on 3-10 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 6 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Arianne Sakundiak added 4 on 2-2 from the floor and 2 boards. Briana Carlyon added 2 on 1-2 from the floor and 3 boards. Renee Byrne added 2 on 1-5 from the floor, 0-4 from the arc, 2 boards and 3 assists, while Tess Heinricks, Sydney Kumar and Megan Tywoniuk were scoreless. Tywoniuk nabbed 2 boards. The Pandas hit 27-65 (.415) from the floor, 5-22 from the arc and 7-10 from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 8 steals, 1 block, 13 turnovers and 18 fouls. Megan Wood led the Griffins with 13 on 5-14 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 3-8 from the line, 5 boards and 2 assists. Kelly O’Hallahan added 12 on 3-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 5-6 from the line and 4 boards. Kendall Lydon added 9 on 4-10 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 3 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Paige Knull added 8 on 3-4 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Kayla Ivicak added 6 on 3-6 from the floor. Kelly Fagan added 5 on 1-3 from the floor, 3-4 from the line, 6 boards, 4 assists and 2 blocks. Alex Lauber added 2, while Alyssa Bridgeman was scoreless. The Griffins hit 20-48 (.417) from the floor, 1-8 (.125) from the arc and 14-22 (.636) from the line, while garnering 24 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 5 steals, 4 blocks, 17 turnovers and 11 fouls. The Griffins (coach Dave Oldham, assistant Paige Bontus, assistant Bill Bradley, assistant Katie Barrett, assistant Jennifer Dunn, assistant Andrea Marshall) also included Leah Piekema, Tajzha Doman, Ciara Bamford, Haley England, Karolina Wieczorek, Alyssa Bridgeman, Brielle Wise and Kerilynn MacLennan.

In the final, the top-seeded Saskatchewan Huskies defeated the 3rd-seeded Regina Cougars 73-62. The Cougars led 18-15 after one quarter. The Huskies led 37-31 at the half and outscored Regina 24-8 in the third quarter, closing with a 15-2 run, to take a 61-39 lead after three quarters. Regina rallied with a 20-4 run in the final frame, featuring four treys by Katie Polischuk, to draw within 11 before Desarae Hogberg drained a trey with 1:31 to play to ice the win for Saskatchewan. “That’s the best we’ve played all year and that’s all you can ask for, to be playing your best basketball in March,” said Huskie coach Lisa Thomaidis. “They’ve put in the time and the energy, for them to come out and perform like that…I couldn’t be happier for them.” Sabine Dukate paced the Huskies with 18 on 7-15 from the floor, 4-6 from the arc, 2 boards and 4 assists. Laura Dally added 17 on 7-14 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 2 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Desarae Hogberg added 12 on 3-7 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 4-5 from the line and 2 boards. Kelsey Trulsrud added 12 on 5-9 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 6 boards and 2 steals. Dalyce Emmerson added 6 on 2-5 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 7 boards and 3 blocks. Megan Lindquist added 6 on 3-5 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 0-1 from the line, 4 boards and 2 assists. Taya Keujer added 2, along with 2 boards, while Madeline Humbert, Sascha Lichtenwald, Megan Ahlstrom and Vera Crooks were scoreless. The Huskies hit 28-58 (.483) from the floor, 8-16 from the arc and 9-14 (.643) from the line, while garnering 27 boards, including 3 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 5 steals, 7 blocks, 9 turnovers and 7 fouls. Charlotte Kot paced the Cougars with 14 on 6-16 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 6 boards. Katie Polischuk added 14 on 5-9 from the floor, 4-7 from the arc and 2 boards. Kehlsie Crone added 9 on 3-8 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc and 2 assists. Alyssia Kajati added 8 on 4-10 from the floor, 7 boards and 2 blocks. Sidney Dobner added 8 on 4-11 from the floor, 3 boards and 3 assists. Michaela Kleisinger added 5 on 1-4 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc and 2 assists. Avery Pearce added 2 and Caitlin Zacharias 2, while Sara Hubenig, Britton Belyk, Christina McCusker and Alexi Rowden were scoreless. Hubenig nabbed 5 boards and Belyk 2. The Cougars hit 24-59 (.407) from the floor, 8-17 (.471) from the arc and 6-6 from the line, while garnering 30 boards, including 5 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 15 turnovers and 13 fouls.

After the season, Dave Oldham resigned as coach of the MacEwan Griffins, after one year at the helm in which he led the Griffins to an Explorer division regular season title with a 17-3 record. Oldham returned to his teaching job, saying that he wanted to spend more time with his young family. “We would like to thank David for his hard work and dedication to MacEwan University and the women’s basketball program. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” said MacEwan athletic director Ken Schildroth. Oldham was replaced by Calgary Dinos assistant Katherine Adams, who headed the Junior Dinos Centre of Excellence. “I am very happy to see Katherine guide the women’s basketball program into the next phase of our competition within Canada West,” said Schildroth.

The bronze medalist Alberta Pandas: Briana Carlyon; Vanessa Wild; Elle Hendershot; Jessilyn Fairbanks; Tess Heinricks; Maddie Rogers; Megan Wickstrom; Renee Byrne; Brooklyn Legault; Sydney Kumar; Megan Tywoniuk; Arianne Sakundiak; Mackenzie Cook; Marinya Marcichiw; coach Scott Edwards; assistant Kelly Haggstrom; assistant Shavaun Reaney; assistant Robyn Fleckenstein; assistant Drew Hanson; assistant Amy Kobzey; fitness coach Michael Cook; therapist T.J. Mussbacher; therapist Alex Yaworski; therapist Stacey Sick; therapist Quinton Lam; therapist Brennan Mahon

The silver medalist Regina Cougars: Charlotte Kot; Michaela Kleisinger; Katie Polischuk; Avery Pearce; Caitlin Zacharias; Jayda Watson; Sara Hubenig; Kehlsie Crone; Alyssia Kajati; Britton Belyk; Christina McCusker; Sidney Dobner; Tefa Vilela; Alexi Rowden; coach Dave Taylor; assistant Carly Graham; assistant Lindsay Ledingham

The gold medalist Saskatchewan Huskies: Desarae Hogberg; Madeline Humbert; Sabine Dukate; Sascha Lichtenwald; Megan Ahlstrom; Taya Keujer; Megan Lindquist; Kassidy Konkin; Laura Dally; Kelsey Trulsrud; Dalyce Emmerson; Vera Crooks; Janaya Brown; coach Lisa Thomaidis; assistant Ali Fairbrother; assistant Megan Pinske; assistant Jacqueline Lavallee; graduate assistant Kabree Howard; student trainer Molly Cox; student trainer Alyssa Mooney