CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos women's basketball team outscored the MacEwan Griffins 49-18 in the second half on its way to an 80-54 victory Saturday night at the Jack Simpson Gym.
After falling behind early, including 11-2 to begin the game, the Dinos (5-1) battled their way through the first two quarters and found themselves trailing the Griffins (1-5) by just five at the halfway mark despite shooting 0-for-9 from the three-point line.
In the second half, a whole new Dinos team came to play. Calgary blitzed MacEwan right from the get-go, outscoring the Griffins 26-13 in the third, then completely taking over the fourth to finish with a 23-5 differential in the final frame.
And while the Dinos showed their true power in the second half, head coach Damien Jennings was especially proud of how his team fought through their offensive woes in the first two quarters.
"I am very proud because we focused on the right end of the game, which was the defensive end," said Jennings. "At the very beginning, we were focused on the fact that the shots weren't dropping, but then we were able to secure ourselves at the defensive end and the shots started to drop."
Early in the third,
Annacy Palmer hit the Dinos first three of the game, followed quickly by an Amélie Collin bomb from long range, giving the Dinos their first lead of the game which they would not give up again.
A major part of the Dinos' success offensively was their effort on the defensive end, as the home squad forced the Griffins into 26 turnovers on Saturday.
Jennings knows that his team's ability to force turnovers on the defensive end will be key as they move forward this season.
"Some nights you're not going to shoot 56-percent from the field, you're going to shoot 39. So, who are you at the defensive end so that you can start to win games in a certain way," explained Jennings. "I thought the second half represented that, and then coincidentally the shots start to fall."
After losing the opener, the Griffins came out with something to prove on Saturday, sprinting off to an early lead thanks in large part to the play of Noelle Kilbreath. After dropping 18 in game one on Friday, Kilbreath finished up Saturday's game with 17 points and five assists, both team-highs for the Griffins.
MacEwan also made a clear effort to control the glass, outrebounding the Dinos 44-34, including 14 offensive rebounds.
But in the end, the Dinos defensive pressure and depth was too much for MacEwan. Calgary had five different players score in double-digits, while the Dinos' bench outscored the Griffins' bench 42-9 through four quarters.
Louise Rouse led the way for the Dinos, scoring 15 points and collecting nine rebounds. Collin, Palmer,
Pollyanna Storie and
Madison Landry all chipped in with 10 for the home squad.
Mackenzie Farmer continued her strong weekend of play for the Griffins, slashing her way to 12 points.
Next weekend the Dinos will head to Prince George for two-game set with the UNBC Timberwolves, while MacEwan will return home to host the Winnipeg Wesmen.
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