CALGARY - Once struggling for optimism, the University of Calgary women are suddenly one game away from clinching a spot in the postseason, while the men look to build on their first weekend sweep of the season in a continued playoff fight of their own.

Following a two-game letdown in Vancouver to the suffocating UBC Thunderbirds in mid-January, the Calgary Dinos women were 4-10 and grasping for any hope they could muster moving forward.

Turns out, Shawnee Harle's troops were down, but definitely not out. Faced with six winnable games following their Vancouver trip, the Dinos took care of each of them, beating Trinity Western, Thompson Rivers and Manitoba. Now, Calgary sits at 10-10, which is good for seventh in Canada West. But more importantly, the Dinos are one game away from clinching a spot in the postseason.

Against the Alberta Pandas this weekend in Edmonton, Calgary has the luxury of controlling their own destiny. If they can win one game on their own, either this weekend or in the season finale against Saskatchewan, they can book off the first weekend of the postseason. The Dinos can also get into the postseason should Fraser Valley (8-12) lose one of their final four games against Brandon and Lethbridge, both inhabiting the bottom half of the conference standings.

Much of the credit for Calgary's recent strong play can be put right in the lap of their red-hot senior, Ashley Hill. Over the past six games, Hill has averaged an otherworldly 24.8 points per game, including individual outputs of 34 and 38. For her efforts this past weekend against Manitoba, where she recorded her 34 and 38 point games, Hill was named CIS Athlete of the Week.

Lost amongst Hill's quest for second all-time on the Calgary scoring list, where she sits 65 points back of Meagan Koch with four games remaining, has been the terrific play of point guard Tamara Jarrett.

Jarrett has averaged 9.9 points and just over two steals per game, including two games with twenty points or more in the past six. Jarrett has provided a badly needed punch of secondary scoring for the Dinos, who need to be prepared for Hill to come back down to earth.

Alberta relies on a fifth year senior as well in Marisa Haylett, who averages 14.9 points per game, while Georgia Popovici battles on the boards, collecting just over six rebounds per game.

The Calgary men, on the other hand, are battling through key injuries and have relied on a speedier than normal transition from their young players as they push for a postseason bid themselves. Currently in eighth place at 8-12, they are in a three-team race for the final two playoff spots with Manitoba (9-11) and Fraser Valley (7-13), and are currently riding a three-game win streak.

The hill is a steep one for the Dinos, who need to win at least one of their last four games to have a realistic shot at post-season competition. The current task at hand is all the Dinos can look at however, and that is the Alberta Golden Bears. The Bears (14-8) have had solid results under second year head coach Greg Francis, sitting in fifth place, and have relied on the services of two players in particular.

Transfer Daniel Ferguson has been a terrific addition to Alberta's squad in 2010-11, where he has averaged 23.5 points per game, just behind Saskatchewan's Jamelle Barrett for the conference lead. Ferguson has been lights out at the free throw line as well, hitting on an impressive 89 percent of his tries. As well, Jordan Baker, the reigning Canada West rookie of the year, is tenth in the conference in points with 17.3, and has been unselfish in the same breath, dishing out 4.3 assists per game.

Calgary answers back with a match-up nightmare, Tyler Fidler, who from the guard/forward position averages a double-double with 17.5 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. Fidler also leads the team in assists, blocks and free-throw percentage, and has been vital in the Dinos' postseason push. Vital especially since the team has been largely without their other veterans, Andy Rochon and Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson, due to injury.

Andrew McGuiness has been strong from the guard position, eclipsing the double digit mark in points, while rookie Matt Letkemen has been terrific in the paint, averaging nearly nine points and four and a half rebounds per game. Dustin Reding and Keenan Milburn round out the Dinos' secondary scoring, where each have averaged just over eight points.

Both Calgary teams will return home next weekend to round out their seasons with two games against the Saskatchewan Huskies. It will be an especially emotional weekend for Ashley Hill, who will be honoured for five years of tremendous service. Hill is the only fifth-year player on either team.

-UC-