KAMLOOPS, BC - The seventh-ranked Calgary Dinos completed a perfect road weekend Saturday night with an 80-55 victory over the Thompson Rivers WolfPack at the Tournament Capital Centre in Kamloops.
BOX SCORE
“We can't have 36 turnovers in a game and expect to be successful,” said WolfPack head coach Scott Reeves. “We might have come to within striking distrance, but that is too many turnovers.”
The Dinos went on an 8-0 run to start the game, and had a 9-0 run to open the 2nd quarter. One might have thought that the WolfPack, who have only one fifth year player in their lineup, might have been a little intimidated. But Reeves didn't see it that way.
“I didn't get that sense in the locker room or the warmup,” he stated “I just think that is a good team. Everyone says they are young---UBC, Calgary---they don't know what that is. When you have 11 first or second year players like we do, that is young. I would love to have six young ones (referring to Calgary's six first year players) but they have two kids - one of them being an All-Canadian, the other being an all-star…..when you can build around those calibre players that's nice. We are building from scratch."
The Dinos led 42-31 at the half led by 5th year post Whitney Haswell (Oakville, Ont) and 3rd year forward Ashley Hill (Airdrie, Alta) with 11 points. Haswell wound up with 17 for the game, while Hill had 14. Courtney Coyle hit some key baskets in the third quarter en route to a 15-point night. The Cranbrook, BC native was one of the most solid Dinos on the court all night.
Calgary coach Shawnee Harle was impressed with her team's performance thus far (3-1 on the year), saying hard work and hustle makes up for a lot. “Our young kids are laying it on the line. I appreciate it. I think the best for us is yet to come. When I look at where we hope to be in February or even next year—it has rejuvenated me as a coach.”
Harle felt it was a tough game, crediting Thompson Rivers for doing some great things. She felt the Dinos wore them down over the course of the contest by being relentless.
One player who wasn't worn down for TRU was first year forward Jess Franz. The native of South Surrey, BC had her coming out party with 24 points—14 of them coming in the first half alone.
“She did show up,“ said Reeves. “It was too bad we didn't have Schuetze (1st year post Diane who missed her second straight game with an ankle injury) this weekend, they might have had trouble with a 6-3 kid. Franz though, came out and did what she is capable of. I knew she had it within her and that's why we recruited her so heavily.”
Guard Kaitlyn Widsten (2nd year, Tswwassen, BC) had 8 points. Michelle Dimond (2nd year, forward, Port Moody, BC) chipped in with six rebounds.
TRU falls to 2 and 2 and plays Manitoba and Winnipeg on the road next weekend (Nov 7-8). Calgary entertains Brandon and Regina next week.
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