CALGARY – Myriam Kone's jumper with 4.9 seconds left on the clock proved to be the difference as the Calgary Dinos women's basketball team battled to a 65-63 win over Saskatchewan Saturday night from the Jack Simpson Gym.

Saturday's win wraps up a statement season-opening sweep by the Dinos against the preseason favourite Huskies, as Calgary opens the season at 2-0. After going 19-1 in conference play a season ago, the Huskies start the year 0-2 – something they haven't done since the 2014-15 campaign, where they still finished 17-3 in conference play.

It also marks the first regular-season weekend sweep for Calgary over Saskatchewan since Nov. 16-17, 2012 – Dinos head coach Damian Jennings' first season leading the Scarlet & Gold.

"This was a really special game," Jennings said. "It could have gone either way. To sweep 'Sask' is special. We have a lot of respect for them as a program. I'm super proud of our group. We've committed to a defensive philosophy, and this is the first weekend where I think we can all look at each other establish trust in each other after a performance like that on the court." 

"For even the neutral fan, what a great game to have in the Jack Simpson Gym. This was a special game for all fans." 

The first quarter started off with a back-and-fourth effort between the two teams. The Huskies momentarly ran away with the offence led by Gage Grassick who had eight points in the quarter. Saskatchewan also went 4-6 from three-point range in the frame, which heavily contributed to their strong start. Tea DeMong's triple with 2:48 to play in the first gave the Huskies a 20-10 lead, but the Dinos scored the final seven points of the quarter to keep things close after one.

The second quarter was where the Dinos excelled from beyond the arc. Calgary went 3-6 on three-point attempts, highlighted by Lilia Skumatova. Saskatchewan continued to show they were up to the task though, as they carried a 37-35 edge into the break.

In the third, a Gage Grassick layup gave the Huskies a 43-38 edge with 5:16 left to play. A pair of free throws from Skumatova followed by back-to-back buckets from Kone gave the Dinos the lead. DeMong answered back with a layup, but Mya Proctor put Calgary back on top with a basket of her own and the Dinos wouldn't trail again the rest of the way. Amelie Collin hit a late triple and the Dinos carried a 53-50 advantage into the final frame.

Calgary managed to build a 58-51 lead following a three-pointer by Kourtney Oss, later followed by Christina Geraldo who nailed her own shot from beyond the arch to give the Dinos the 61-53 lead. The Huskies would fight back hard as Rieder would nail two 3's in 22 seconds, cutting their deficit to just one at 61-60. Oss would extend the lead by two, but Rieder would yet again sink a three-pointer to tie the game at 63 with 1:54 to play.

Things stayed the same until the final possession of the game for the Dinos. After a Dinos turnover, Proctor stole the ball back for Calgary and got the ball to Kone. The third-year guard sized up what the defence was giving her, droved to the right elbow and swished her jumper to send the Jack Simpson Gym into a frenzy.

The Huskies were able to get off a last-second attempt, but it rattled off the rim as the Dinos finished off the weekend sweep.

"That was that wonderful pull up (by Myriam)," Jennings said of the final play for Calgary. "It wasn't without adversity, but credit to Mya for creating that steal and to Myriam for having the braveness to take a shot like that. To have the composure and the belief she had, it really shows a lot in just how much her game has developed in a short amount of time."

The two teams finished even at 20 points each on points in the paint. Calgary had the edge in points off turnovers (23-15) and fast-break points (10-5), while the Huskies dominated in points off the bench (24-11).

Up next for the Dinos is a trip to Alberta in what will be the season opener for the Pandas, Nov. 8-9 in Edmonton. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan hosts Manitoba next weekend for their home opener, starting Friday at 6 p.m. CT.

-UC-