VICTORIA – The University of Calgary Dinos women's basketball team lost a heartbreaker to the University of Victoria Vikes Saturday night, 55-54 at the CARSA Performance Gym.

Coming into the weekend, after a perfect homestand to start the year, the Dinos failed to continue their early season successes; losing both games this weekend and dropping their record to 2-2. 

After a low-scoring affair on Friday night, it appeared as though both teams were ready to break out on Saturday. A back and forth opening quarter saw both teams go on sustained runs, with the Vikes grabbing the early lead 21-18 in a high scoring first quarter. 

Both defences tightened up considerably in the second, with the Dinos only managing to add seven points in the frame. The Vikes could only muster 13 themselves, but this would give them a 34-25 lead heading into the second half. Both teams struggled to keep up the hot start, with the Dinos and Vikes shooting 31% and 36% respectively from the field in the first half.

Calgary's offensive woes continued into the third quarter only able to add 10 points to their total. The lone bright spot for the Dinos was their defence which held the Vikes to 12, giving them a chance for a comeback, only being down 11 heading into the final frame.

The Dinos made it interesting in the final frame.  They went on a 9-0 run late in the game to tie it up, highlighted by Erin McIntosh finishing off a three-point play. This was as close as the Dinos comeback progressed however, as the Vikes scored three unanswered baskets to stretch the lead back to six with just under two minutes to play. A Brianna Ghali three-pointer, the Dinos first of the game, with 33 seconds left brought Calgary within one point, but Victoria was able to run out the clock and hold on for the win.

Head Coach Damian Jennings offered these comments after the game. "We're just not finishing our opportunities right now. We finished 1-21 from the three-point line over the two evenings, and we're not finishing inside. That being said I was pleased with shot selection overall tonight, as we finished with a good ratio of contested to uncontested shots on the night."

The Dinos finished the game shooting 34% from the field, led offensively by Ghali and her 10 points. The Vikes shot only 32% themselves, but were keyed by the strong play of Nicole Karstein, Jenna Bugiardini, and Amira Giannattasio, scoring 16, 18, and 12 points respectively.

While a tough finish to the weekend, Jennings offered some silver linings to the loss. "With the 10 new players that we have and the new group that we are, there is a great deal of potential in our tenacity defensively to create turnovers and chances. We competed well to get back in the game, held tight in the third, and were able to get something going in the fourth."

The Dinos are off next weekend, with a bye, before returning to the court with a home and home series against the University of Lethbridge starting Nov. 24.

-UC-