CALGARY – The basketball Battle of Alberta returns to the Jack Simpson Gym after a year's hiatus this weekend as the Dinos play host to the Alberta Pandas.

Tip-off goes at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights, with both games broadcast live on CanadaWest.tv.

Saturday night will feature the annual Shoot for the Cure night, which all CIS women's basketball programs are participating in. All funds raised will go to support the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Fans can purchase pink Dinos t-shirts for $15 on track level this weekend to help support the cause, and the Final 8 will also include several Shoot for the Cure promotions, including the national cheque presentation on behalf of all CIS basketball schools.

The Dinos women have a 9-5 record, are currently sitting in the playoff picture in fourth place, and are guaranteed a spot at the national tournament as its host when the 2012 CIS Women's Basketball Final 8 rolls into the Jack March 17-19.

Winners of two straight, the Dinos will aim to gain some ground this weekend on the No. 5-ranked Alberta Pandas, who sit in second place with an 11-3 record – two games better than Calgary.

The Dinos made do with a depleted roster last weekend, missing the services of both Megan Lang and Samara Pereira. Both are possible to go for Calgary this weekend, but both will be game day decisions as they continue to recover from injury.

Tamara Jarrett and Jessica Franz led the Dinos in scoring last week, each taking a turn as the top scorer as Calgary came back from deficits in the fourth quarter both nights to record 10- and 15-point victories after wearing out the Pronghorns.

They face a Pandas team that includes fourth-year veteran Nicole Clarke, the best free throw shooter in Canada West and the second-leading scorer in the conference with 239 points – 17.1 per game. Clarke is backed up by a solid, deep supporting cast that features six players averaging between five and eight points per game. But while the Pandas average just over 71 points per game, fourth-best in the conference, their strength is on defence. Alberta leads the conference with a stingy 57.1 points per game allowed. The Pandas are the best-shooting team in the league at 45 per cent, sit just ahead of the Dinos in the No. 1 spot in three-point percentage, and are among the leaders in rebounding.

For the Dinos, the keys will be execution on offence and limiting Clarke if they hope to be successful.

The Dinos hit the road next week to face the Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg before returning to the Jack Feb. 10-11 when he Winnipeg Wesmen come to town. Saturday, Feb. 11 will be Seniors' Night, when the team will recognize its fifth-year players: Jenna Kaye and Megan lang.

-UC-