CALGARY – Third year Saskatchewan post Jana Spindler wreaked havoc with the Calgary Dinos' defensive system all night, scoring 21 big points in a 74-64 Huskies victory Saturday night in the Jack Simpson Gym.
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The Port Williams, N.S. native avoided the foul trouble that had plagued her the previous night for the most part, instead finding herself behind the Calgary defence on multiple occasions to go 8-of-14 from the floor and 5-of-8 from the charity stripe.
The workmanlike effort by Spindler was matched by the rest of the Huskies' starting five, four of whom played more than 26 minutes. The Huskies led wire-to-wire in this one, avoiding the nail-biting finish the teams had produced on Friday – a 66-65 last-second Saskatchewan win.
It was a Spindler jump-shot just a minute into the game that gave the Huskies a 4-2 lead that they would never relinquish – a lead that was seven by the end of the opening quarter. The Dinos pulled within three at one point in the second, but several open looks for Calgary refused to fall while Spindler along with Jill Humbert and Kim Tulloch maintained the Saskatchewan lead of at least four points. It was 38-32 for the visitors heading into the half.
A rough start to the third quarter for Calgary ultimately denied them a chance to win the game. Saskatchewan opened the second half with a 7-0 run, and their hosts scored just a single point in the first four minutes. The Dinos managed to mount another late charge to narrow the gap to just six as the fourth quarter opened.
The gap narrowed further to just three and then two after Courtney Coyle hit one of three treys in a bounce-back game for her, but Amy Prokop grabbed a pair of offensive boards and made good on the Huskies' third attempt of the next possession. A big three by Humbert, the hero of Friday night, was the final dagger, and the Dinos were unsuccessful with their fouling strategy late in the contest.
Tulloch and Humbert joined Spindler in double digits with 15 and 14 points, respectively, while Spindler reached the double-double with her game-high 11 rebounds.
Ashley Hill rebounded from a one-point game Friday to lead the Dinos with 16 Saturday, with freshman Alex Cole adding a dozen and Coyle 11. Coyle, Cole, Hill, and Whitney Haswell each hauled in seven rebounds to lead the Dinos.
The win vaults the Huskies to 12-2 on the season and, coupled with Alberta's 65-60 home-court loss to Lethbridge, gives Saskatchewan a two-game edge in the Central Division pennant race. Calgary, meanwhile, falls to 6-8 and faces an ever-steeper climb towards home court advantage in the post season.
The Dinos and Huskies both hit the road next weekend, with Saskatchewan visiting Brandon and Regina while Calgary takes the quick trip south for a two-game set with the Lethbridge Pronghorns.
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