BOX SCORE

CALGARY – Despite spotting their hosts an 8-0 advantage in the first three minutes of the game, the No. 5-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies quickly righted the ship and improved to 6-4 on the season with a 78-72 win over the Calgary Dinos Friday night in the Jack Simpson Gym.

Eager to prove their competitiveness with one of the nation's top programs, the Dinos came out guns a blazing from the opening tip-off, and for a time it seemed like nothing could go wrong for the hosts. Jessica Franz, Jenna Kaye, and Alex Cole paced the Dinos out to the quick eight-point lead in a stretch that saw the Huskies throw up just one shot attempt – but a nice inside feed by veteran Katie Miyazaki to freshman Dalyce Emmerson in the paint got Saskatchewan on the board and they never looked back.

Lisa Thomaidis' crew responded with a 17-5 run and held a four-point lead after 10 minutes. That lead stretched to six at the half, but the third quarter is where the Huskies salted it away. The Huskies put up 26 points out of the break, taking a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter – a lead the Dinos fought valiantly to chip away at, but one that proved insurmountable in the end.

The Huskies, who led by as many as 14 late in the third quarter, saw their advantage slip to just five points with two minutes to play. A quick lay-up by Kabree Howard made the cushion seven, and with the Dinos forced to foul, the Huskies made just enough free throws to keep it interesting but still keep the Dinos at arm's length. A conventional three-point play by Tamara Jarrett brought Calgary within four with just 18 seconds remaining, but Howard salted it away with two more singles to make the final 78-72.

The Huskies shot the lights out in the second half, making 14 of their 19 field goal tries for a sensational 73.7 per cent efficiency. That sparked them to an overall 54.5 per cent on the night, against just under 42 for Calgary.

Emmerson, the freshman phenom, posted the lone double-double of the night with 12 points and 11 rebounds, 10 of which came off the defensive glass. Miyazaki and Kiera Lyons led the way for Saskatchewan with 15 points apiece, but the Huskies got balanced scoring from their entire line-up. Five players cracked double digits, with Kelsey Trusrud's 12 and Howard's 11 following up the threesome of Miyazaki, Lyons, and Emmerson. The bench contributed 34 of the Huskies' 78 points.

Calgary, meanwhile, falls to 7-4 with the loss. The Dinos got a solid 16 points from Cole, whose court time was limited to just 23 minutes because of early foul trouble. Jenna Kaye added 13 for the home side, while Franz and Tamara Jarrett each added 10. Kiersten Hilton finished just shy of a second digit, scoring nine points in 19 minutes of action.

Franz and Kaye were the Dinos' leading rebounders, collecting five apiece on the night.

The two teams renew acquaintances Saturday night in the rematch, with tip off set for 6 p.m. MT in the Jack, live on CanadaWest.tv.

The Dinos host the 2012 CIS Women's Basketball Final 8 March 17-19 in the Jack Simpson Gym.

-UC-