EDMONTON - Fifth year players Ashley Wigg and Kristin Jarock combined for a big night as the #5 ranked University of Alberta Pandas torched the Calgary Dinos, 83-53, Friday night in the U of A's Main Gym.
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The two players are playing in their final regular season games in the Main Gym, giving added weight to their performances. Wigg banked 12 points and an eye-popping 12 assists, while also hauling in five rebounds. Jarock, an Edmonton native, scored a game high 15 points and also corralled six rebounds.
With the win Alberta improves their record to 15-6 while the Dinos drop 8-13. The weekend series means nothing in the standings as the Pandas already clinched second place, while Calgary is locked in at third place. The two teams will meet again next weekend in a central division best-of-three semi final series, where the winner will advance to face Saskatchewan in the divisional final.
Alberta head coach Scott Edwards, the 2006-07 CIS coach of the year, mandated to his team that this weekend was their opportunity to send the Dinos a message for the playoffs.
Part one of that message was delivered.
The Dinos, a team better than their record indicates, came out hard and fast in the opening quarter, showing signs of why their offence is fourth best in the conference. Just a three point difference, 22-19 in favour of Alberta, separated the provincial rivals after 10 minutes, as a pair of bench players, Ashley Ashman and Courtney Coyle led the Dinos, while Jarock and rookie Nicole Clarke led the Pandas.
Alberta started to take the game over slowly in the second quarter as Wigg began to settle down and find her game. Slowly but surely the feisty guard from Calgary began to assert her brand of hoops, displaying her deft passing skills and tenacious defence. As Wigg's game went, so did the Pandas as they opened up the lead to 36-27 at half.
Calgary started out well in the second half but quickly lost all momentum as the Pandas began blowing the doors off the game.
Clutch buckets from starters Wigg and Jarock as well as bench players Melanie Schlichter and Marisa Haylett opened up the scoreboard and pushed Calgary further and further towards the loss.
After a 26-19 third quarter and a 62-46 deficit overall, the Dinos completely ran out of the steam in the fourth as Alberta ratcheted up the lead to 30 points and kept it there, finishing out at 83-53.
Schlichter finished with 12 points, while Haylett added 11 points and a team high nine rebounds for Alberta.
Outside of Coyle's team high 14 points and eight rebounds, Ashley Hill had 11 points and Megan Lane had five boards.
Calgary and Alberta will renew hostilities tomorrow night at 6 p.m.
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