CALGARY- The University of Calgary women's basketball team continued with their winning ways on Thursday night in the much anticipated Pack the Jack game versus Fraser Valley University, fighting out to an impressive 69-59 win.
 
The first quarter was tough for the Dinos, as they were outscored for the majority of the play, ending the period with 16-7. After Erin McIntosh opened the scoring with a layup just seconds into the game, the Cascades went on run, first tying to a 5-5 and 7-7, then grabbing a lead.  Throughout, Ammol Mattu drilled a jump shot giving the Dinos three, and Lauren Seabrook impressed with a layup.
 
The Cascades opened the second quarter with several notable plays that gave them the 20-7 edge, to which Brianna Ghali responded by burring several back-to-back layups and a free throw. Michal Assaf was able to further minimize the lead of the Cascades with a jump shot, while McIntosh made a pretty layup as the whistle blew, ending the quarter with only a three-point disadvantage (29-26).
 
After the huge comeback throughout the second quarter, the Dinos continued to make a strong impact in the game all throughout third and fourth. Less than two minutes into the start of the third, Calgary was already grabbing the lead, thanks to a layup by Bobbi Jo Colburn and a 3-pt. jump shot by Mattu. Several other players also made an impression, including McIntosh and Shinelle Handzuik. Unsurprisingly, Ghali shined in both the third and fourth quarters as she drilled a three pointer, while also notching up several free throws and layups in the final minutes of action.
 
For the game, the Cascades held a slight advantage in field goals, registering a 37.1% to 34.2%. However, the Dinos outscored the Cascades in three-point percentage, noting a 24.0% to the 20.0% of the opponent.
 
When asked about the first two quarters, Head Coach Damian Jennings remarked, "I don't think we [initially] came out to compete, and I think we needed a reminder of that from the other team." He then added, "that being said, I think we should focus on the fact that we did manage to come back; though it may sound like a cliché, when the girls were reminded to stick to the game plan, the light bulb suddenly went on, and they started to play. You could see the speed of the game suddenly increased, and they were ready to compete."
 
Calgary will be able to showoff their competitive side again tomorrow, as they once again play Fraser Valley at the Jack Simpson Gymnasium at 6p.m.