VANCOUVER — Potent three-point shooting has propelled the No. 2-seed University of Calgary Dinos men's basketball team into a national semifinal at the 2025 INDOCHINO U SPORTS Men's Final 8.

In a physical battle with the No. 7 Queen's Gaels, and holding a two-point lead at halftime, the Dinos went on a 15-0 run in the opening stages of the third quarter. They received clutch performances from guard Dylan Lutes (27 points) and Aidan Smith (20 points) to secure a 109-98 victory at the War Memorial Gym in Vancouver.

Calgary finished 19-of-35 from beyond the arc, shooting 54.3 percent, and led for all but 24 seconds in the quarter-final matchup.

"They pressed like crazy constantly, even on a miss, and we had to be tough with the ball," said Dinos head coach Dan Vanhooren. "For us to have 25 assists and only 13 turnovers, I thought that was a terrific showing of what we are capable of. We knew Aidan would get going because he was freed up like that. We were going to put up a big number if we were running up and down like that.

"I was pleased with our guys' effort and really with our composure through that game."

U SPORTS Player of the Year Nate Petrone finished with 26 points and eight assists, but Queen's limited his opportunities for most of the first half, turning the country's top point scorer into a facilitator.

One of Petrone's top targets was his long-time teammate Lutes, who scored 12 of his 27 points off three-pointers and several more off Hail Mary passes as Calgary tried to break Queen's full-court press.

"They are a team that plays like no other team we've faced all season. They executed their game plan perfectly and they tired us out," explained Lutes. "Nate told me earlier today, 'I don't care if I don't shoot a ball today,' because we knew the game plan. He said, 'It's going to be you and Aidan,' and we had to be ready to shoot threes. And we were."

Despite the Dinos holding a lead as large as 11 in the first half, the Gaels stayed close throughout. Third-year guard AJ Cummings was a standout, draining four three-pointers in the first quarter, and finished with a team-high 24 points.

A jumper from Lucas Ponting tied the game at 57 just 23 seconds into the second half. Calgary immediately responded with a booming dunk by Declan Peterson, sparking the 15-0 run that proved to be the turning point.

Fifth-year guard and third-team conference all-star Noah Wharton left the game with an injury during Calgary's third-quarter run and did not return. Queen's capitalized on his absence, cutting the deficit to five points with seven minutes remaining.

However, Calgary's deep range shooting proved too much to overcome. Late three-pointers from Petrone, Smith, and Lutes extended the lead and sealed the win.

"Everyone's going to have a moment where they've got to perform, and that's the only way you can win," Vanhooren said.

The Dinos will shift their focus to Friday night, where they will face the AUS champion UPEI Panthers. The semifinal will take place at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre with a 9 p.m. MT tip-off and will be broadcast live on CBC Sports digital platforms.

-UC-