WINNIPEG – The University of Calgary Dinos picked up their second straight win Friday night, spoiling Manitoba's home opener with a 74-47 triumph at the Investors Group Athletic Centre.
With the win, the Dinos extend their win streak to two games and are now 2-1, while the Bisons fall to 0-3.
Bison forward Montana Kinzel led both sides with 13 points, while Calgary's Kristie Shiels and
Claire Colborne each had 11.
Anmol Mattu added 10 for Calgary.
The Dinos opened the scoring early with a layup from Colborne. The visitors doubled their lead with a field goal before allowing the Bisons to score their first of the game, a layup from forward Claire Harvey. The Bisons kept driving to the net but couldn't score. The Dinos added a pair of two-point jump shots and a layup before Manitoba forward Addison Martin added three on a jumper and a free throw. Neither team scored in the final two minutes of play, so Calgary closed the quarter up 12-5.
The Bisons regrouped and brought stronger offensive drives in the second, but so did the Dinos. Sheils and Colborne combined for nine points before Kinzel netted five on a field goal and a three-point jumper to send the Bisons to double digits, down 21-10. The home team put up 12 more points in the quarter, including five from Harvey, but the Bisons couldn't beat Calgary's relentless offense. Manitoba finished the half down 33-22.
The Bisons found that offense, if only briefly, in the third. Manitoba captain Jenilyn Monton opened the quarter with a field goal, but Manitoba's offense couldn't keep up with Calgary's strong shooters. The Dinos racked up 22 points in the quarter alone, six from guard
Brianna Ghali, compared to Manitoba's 11. Kinzel ended the quarter with a buzzer-beating three-point jump shot, but Calgary led 55-33 after three.
The Dinos' relentless offense returned in the fourth. Calgary rookie
Freya Szmidt set the tone for the rest of the game when she scored on a jumper less than a second in to the quarter. Manitoba brought stronger gameplay at the start of the quarter but couldn't beat Calgary's commanding lead. The Bisons persevered but started making mistakes toward the end of the game, and both teams were shooting in bonus with minutes left. With seconds remaining in the match, Harvey scored on a layup and then a three-point shot, but it wasn't enough. The Dinos took the game 74-47.
The Bisons will look for their first win of the season Saturday at 3 p.m. MT, when they take on the Dinos in the second of this doubleheader at Investors Group Athletic Centre, live on CanadaWest.tv.
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