CALGARY, Alta. – The University of Calgary Dinos women's basketball team made a statement in their season opener as they defeated the University of Saskatchewan Huskies 64-54 on Friday night in the Jack Simpson Gym.
The Dinos' win did not come easy. Facing the defending Canada West champions and pre-season coaches polls' top-ranked team, Calgary trailed Saskatchewan by as much as nine in the first quarter before recovering and establishing a halftime lead.
It is the first time Calgary has earned a victory against Saskatchewan since 2020.
The Huskies got off to a fast start with an 11-0 run in the game's opening minutes, but the Dinos picked up the pace and cut the deficit to three by the end of the first quarter. Saskatchewan cashed in on Calgary turnovers, with 13 of their 20 points in the quarter coming off those miscues. On the other end, the Dinos rebounded from their slow start with efficient shooting, led by Myriam Kone, who posted 10 points in the first.
The home team maintained the efficiency on offence. They took the lead with three minutes remaining in the half and extended their advantage to six on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Pollyanna Storie.
Just as they did in the second, Calgary outscored Saskatchewan 19-10 in the third quarter and benefited from another highlight-reel finish at the buzzer. This time, Christine Geraldo beat the buzzer with a scoop layup and pushed the Dinos' lead to 15.
Both team's shooting went quiet in the fourth quarter, but the Huskies managed a 14-4 run that spanned seven minutes of action. It brought the score within eight with time still on the clock, but a jumper by Louise Rouse seemed to squash the comeback with one minute remaining.
Kone led all players in scoring with 24 points in Friday's season opener. Rouse and Mya Proctor also reached double-digits with 14 and 10 points, respectively. Rouse also had a massive night in the paint with a career-high 15 rebounds – posting nearly half of her team's 37 boards on the evening.
Gage Grassick and Maya Findall both recorded 15 points each to lead the Huskies.
Both teams will be back in action Saturday with a 6 p.m. start at the Jack Simpson Gym.
