BOX SCORE EDMONTON – The University of Alberta Pandas basketball team made it 13 straight wins, thanks to a 70-47 victory over the Calgary Dinos on Saturday night at the Saville Community Sports Centre.
 
Led by Andria Carlyon's 16 points and her team leading six rebounds, the CIS No.3 ranked Pandas have now won 13 consecutive conference games, including this weekend's sweep of the Dinos. Carlyon had 23 points in Friday night's win to lead Alberta as well.
 
Fourth-year forward Kendra Asleson had another solid night for the evergreen and gold, picking up 13 points and six boards, while Saskia Van Ginhoven got hot in the second half to finish with 12 points.
 
The Pandas continue to sit in first place in the Prairie Division, but also remain tied with the Saskatchewan Huskies and the Regina Cougars, all with 14-2 records.
 
Calgary, at 11-5, sits six points back of the three-way tie for first place, but remain locked on the final Prairie Division playoff spot. On Saturday, the Dinos were paced third-year Jessica Thielen's 16 points. The former Eastern Washington player also had a team high six rebounds on the night. Kristie Sheils, Friday night's leading scorer for Calgary, had 10 points on Saturday.
 
Asleson and Carlyon got the ball rolling on Saturday, picking up five and seven first quarter points, respectively, and leading the Pandas to an 18-15 lead through 10 minutes.
 
True to the Pandas' scoring by committee form, and commitment to a team game, guard Jessilyn Fairbanks stole the show in the second quarter, racking up six points after recording none in the first. And, despite 10 first quarter points from Thielen, as well as eight from Sheils, the Pandas led at half-time by a score of 32-27.
 
Alberta's post game took over in the third, as Van Ginhoven and Megan Van de Kraats combined for nine points from inside the paint. And, just as Calgary adjustws to Van de Kraats and Van Ginhoven inside, guard Maddie Rogers found her spot from outside the arc, connecting on a pair of treys in the third that paved the way to a big 24-11 third quarter, as well as a 56-38 Pandas lead through 30 minutes.
 
In the fourth, the Pandas simply had to put their conference best defence to work shutting the Dinos down to preserve the win, which they did, earning the 70-47 final.
 
Alberta remains at home next weekend, when they take on Mount Royal and UNBC, while the Dinos return home to host the UBC Thunderbirds and the Victoria Vikes.

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