CALGARY – One day after a hard fought seven-point win by the University of Calgary Dinos women's basketball team, the University of Alberta Pandas bounced back in a big way with a 69-49 victory to earn a weekend split with the Dinos from the Jack Simpson Gym.

The heavyweight bout between two of the top-five teams in U SPORTS lived up to its billing early before the No. 3 Pandas pulled away down the stretch for the emphatic road win to move to 5-3 on the year.

Meanwhile, the setback moves the No. 5 Dinos to 7-3 heading into the winter break.

Jenna Harpe led all player with 16 points, while Kiah Easton-Ihediohanma netted 14 and Ella Rees chipped in with 11.

Pollyanna Storie and Mya Proctor both finished with 10 points to lead the Dinos in scoring in an uncharacteristically cold shooting night by Calgary.

It was a hot start by Rees – scoring seven of her 11 points in the opening quarter to help the Pandas jump out to a 16-11 lead after one.

A three by Reece Hall stretched the lead to 21-13 for Alberta, but Calgary battled back to within one at 29-28 after a three-point play by Kourtney Oss. The Pandas hit a pair of free throws by Harpe with eight seconds left to go ahead by five only to steal the ensuing in-bound heave and see Harpe drill a cold-blooded three for a 36-28 lead at the half.

Things quickly ballooned in the third as a bucket by Easton-Ihediohanma less than four minutes into the frame gave Alberta a 48-30 advantage. Calgary continued to scrap. A jumper by Milica Gajic and a three by Amélie Collin gave the home team some momentum before two straight baskets by Oss capped an 11-0 run to close things to 48-41 late in the third.

But it was all Pandas in the fourth, leading by as many as 23 before finishing this one off to earn the weekend split.

One night after Calgary outrebounded Alberta by 20, the Pandas bounced back in a big way to claim a 45-40 edge on the boards Saturday. Alberta also got to the free throw line more consistently in this one, going 15-16 from the charity stripe compared to Calgary's 3-3 performance.

The two teams are now off until the New Year. The Dinos return to the court Jan. 5-6 technically on the road, making the short trip south of campus to take on rival Mount Royal, while the Pandas kick off 2024 at home against their crosstown rivals MacEwan.

-UC-