CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos cracked open the 2020 playoffs with a roar, as a dominant third-quarter performance led the way to an 87-68 win against the University of Northern British Columbia Timberwolves in the Canada West quarter-final Thursday night.
With this quarter-final win under their belt, the Dinos advance to the semi-finals where they will take on the University of Alberta Pandas at 4:30 p.m. Friday in the Jack Simpson Gym. The winner of that game goes on to the conference final and earns a berth at the U SPORTS Final 8 in Ottawa.
The Dinos came out of the gate ready to roll as conference all-star
Erin McIntosh locked down three heavily contested shots in the first five minutes. But the Timberwolves were quick to respond, with the one-two punch of Maria Mongomo and Emma van Bruinessen combining for six crucial rebounds.
UNBC forward Madison Landry kept the Dinos' defensive coverage on lockdown, as her second quarter 11-point, three-steal performance en route to a 25-point night kept the first half close. The Timberwolves shot 47 per cent from the field and forced eight turnovers, while the Dinos struggled to pin down their usual fast-paced rhythm, as passing errors allowed momentum shifts.
A 14-0 Dinos run from the start of the third quarter proved to be the difference-maker in the match as Calgary shifted a tight contest into a 16-point edge. Sharp shooting from fourth-year
Bobbi-Jo Colburn grabbed the game by the neck and led the Dinos to 24-point lead after the quarter.
"We weren't pleased with the first half; our defensive identity wasn't quite there for some reason," said head coach
Damian Jennings. "I thought we had an excellent start in the third and went on some good runs. I was really pleased with the second half and how we got back to the identity we asked of ourselves but were not able to execute in the first."
The Dinos continued to widen the margin in the fourth and focused on hustle plays and versatile shots to keep the Timberwolves at bay, allowing only 16 points through the remainder of the game.
Courtney Donaldson sparked some heat into the fourth quarter, with eight points in four minutes of play, and was a constant source of pressure on the Timberwolves. The T-Wolves clawed back, but with only eight healthy players, the roster was out of gas, allowing the Dinos' deep bench to push past for an 87-68 victory.
Colburn paced the Dinos with 21 points on the night, with McIntosh adding 15 while
Michaela Nieuwenhuizen added 13.
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