VANCOUVER – Lilia Skumatova was held scoreless until just four seconds remained in the game but her two free throws helped the No. 7 Calgary Dinos women's basketball team earn a hard-fought 59-55 win over the No. 2 UBC Thunderbirds Saturday afternoon from the War Memorial Gym.

With the win, Calgary moves to 5-3 on the year, with three of those wins coming against teams ranked in the top 10 nationally. Meanwhile, the loss is the first of the year for UBC, who moves to 7-1.

Myriam Kone led all players with 14 points to go with six rebounds, four steals and three assists. Amélie Collin was right behind with 11 points on 4-8 shooting to go with another four steals.

Mona Berlitz led the T-Birds with 13 points and six rebounds, while Olivia Weeks had a nice night with 12 points and nine boards.

All 10 Dinos who entered the game scored in a complete team effort to earn the weekend split in yet another top-10 matchup.

It was a hot-shooting opening quarter for both squads. Collin had the early hot had for the Dinos with the first seven points for the Scarlet & Gold. Kone drilled a triple in the closing seconds of the first to give her seven first-quarter points, as well. UBC hit on 38.9 percent (7-18) early, while Calgary shot 50 percent (7-14) and held a 17-16 lead after one.

The Dinos' defensive pressure continued to wreak havoc in the second, forcing 12 UBC turnovers by halftime. Combine that with more strong shooting by Calgary, with a pair of late triples from Pollyanna Storie and Collin giving the Dinos a 36-26 edge at the break.

After the break, the T-Birds shot 50 percent in the third but still couldn't gain any ground as Calgary's relentless pressure continued to cause problems. The Dinos forced another eight turnovers in the third quarter and led 50-38 heading into the fourth.

It was almost a case a déjà vu for the Dinos in the fourth, as they suddenly couldn't get the lid off the basket, going the first four minutes without a point and it was nearly eight full minutes before their first made field goal. But, Calgary's defence continued to do its job and kept UBC from closing the gap too much. Mya Proctor's three pointer with 2:09 put the Dinos back up by seven at 55-48. It was all free throws by both squads from there on out, with Skumatova's free throws closing out the weekend split for Calgary.

The Dinos finished the game with a significant 29-14 advantage in points off turnovers and a 20-14 edge in points off the bench. Meanwhile, UBC claimed a notable 34-14 lead in points in the paint.

Calgary is now off from conference action until the turn of the calendar, traveling to Winnipeg to take on the Wesmen Jan. 10-11. UBC has one game next weekend, heading to Kelowna, B.C. to take on UBCO Friday evening.

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