CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos women's basketball team earned a statement win Friday night, defeating the University of Alberta Pandas 67-58 in a hard-fought Battle of Alberta at the Jack Simpson Gym.

Emma Yarwood finished with a career-high 13 points, while Kourtney Oss led the Dinos on the glass with 10 rebounds.

"It all starts in practice, but we went out there and played our game," Yarwood said. "We really focused on pushing our defence and keeping our energy high."

The victory was an important one for the Dinos, who entered the weekend ranked fourth in the Prairie Conference. Alberta sat just ahead of them in third, adding extra weight to the top-10 matchup and making the result a confidence boost for Calgary.

Alberta opened the scoring with a jumper from Mishynn Miller, but the Dinos responded quickly. Amélie Collin, Sydney Milum and Oss combined to give Calgary an offensive spark, helping the home side settle into the game.

The Dinos took control in the second quarter, scoring first and going on a 13-point run. Calgary shot efficiently during the stretch, finishing the quarter at 50% from the field compared to Alberta's 15.8%. Strong defensive pressure forced tough possessions for the Pandas, while Calgary capitalized at the other end. Late fouls sent Yarwood and Milica Gajic to the free-throw line, allowing the Dinos to extend their lead.

Calgary held a 35-15 advantage at halftime.

Alberta came out with increased offensive pressure in the third quarter, but the Dinos remained composed. Megan Weisgerber added a three-pointer for Calgary, while Alberta's Kiah Easton-Ihdiohanma answered with a buzzer-beating triple to close the frame.

Calgary maintained its lead in the final quarter. Lilia Skimatova opened the frame with a quick layup, followed by another three from Collin as the Dinos went on a short run. Oss continued to contribute offensively, scoring on a layup to keep Calgary ahead by double digits. With just under three minutes remaining, Oss converted another jumper off a Collin assist.

The Pandas pushed late, narrowing the gap to 66-54 thanks to hot shooting from behind the arc, but Calgary stayed steady down the stretch and closed out the game.

The two teams will meet again Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Jack.

-UC-