EDMONTON - Just like that, the No. 5-ranked University of Alberta Pandas basketball program is runnin' back to Saskatoon, as they defeated the Calgary Dinos 80-55 to sweep their best-of-three central division semi final series Saturday night in the U of A's Main Gym.
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Coupled with the Pandas 81-57 win Friday night, the Alberta team took the semi final series with relative ease and will now get ready to face the #4 ranked Saskatchewan Huskies in Saskatoon. Saskatchewan beat Alberta three out of four times in regular season play, but the Pandas lone victory, 60-57, did happen on the road. Winner of the Alberta-Saskatchewan series, which tips-off Friday February 20, advances to the Canada West Final Four and with the hope that they can qualify for the CIS national championship. The University of Regina is host of the national tournament, March 6-8.
While Alberta's win over the Dinos Saturday night was never in question, it certainly wasn't easy in the first half.
Calgary out-worked the home team significantly through the opening 20 minutes, out-rebounding them 13-4 at one point, but always trailed on the scoreboard.
Every time the Pandas got themselves into trouble, they were able to shoot their way out, sinking the baskets that Calgary couldn't.
Alberta was lethal from long-range, sinking five of nine deep shots in the first half, while also hitting 47% of their field goals. Especially hot, were the hands of fifth year Melanie Schlichter whose veteran savvy bailed the Pandas out. The lanky grad studies student from Winnipeg hit several clutch buckets in the second quarter, helping Alberta to a half-time lead of 37-28.
Head Coach Scott Edwards, the 2006-07 CIS Coach of the Year, dialled his troops in during the break, because in the third quarter, the Pandas blew the doors off the Dinos and the game.
Up by just nine points, Alberta torched the Calgary mesh for 26 third quarter points, while limiting Calgary's offence, fourth best in Canada West, to just six points.
The Pandas worked an elementary fourth quarter to eventually round out the contest 80-55.
Schlichter finished as the game's top scorer, netting 17 points in a seasonal best, while Kristin Jarock scored 14 in her final appearance on the Main Gym floor. Ashley Wigg, also playing in her final game at home, scored seven points and eight assists, while Katie Barrett also went out with a bang. The fifth year shooting guard drained four of six three-pointers, part of Alberta's 8-18 total, and notched 14 points, and a season high for her.
Calgary's Ashley Hill had 15 points to pace the Dinos; Ashley Ashman had 13 and Courtney Coyle had 11 in her final game in University of Calgary colours. She and forward Whitney Haswell wind up their five-year CIS careers after the season.
After being out-worked under the glass in the first half, the Pandas came back furiously, finishing with 38 total boards to Calgary's 41. Alberta rookie Anneka Bakker had nine, while Coyle had seven to lead their respective squads.
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