CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos women's basketball team capped off a weekend sweep with a 74-69 win over provincial rival Alberta Saturday night inside the Jack Simpson Gym.

Kourtney Oss anchored the Dinos defensively with a game-high 14 rebounds, while Amélie Collin led the offence with 13 points and Lilia Skumatova had a strong shooting night and added 12 points.

"We've been competing a lot against each other in practice," said Skumatova. "That level of intensity makes game day feel a lot less nerve-racking."

The opening frame started with what felt like a carryover from Friday's start that saw the Dinos race out to an 11-2 lead after back-to-back triples by Collin and Skumatova. But the Pandas responded with a nice run of their own and a pair of late free throws for Alberta saw this one all tied up at 19 after one.

Alberta struck first in the second quarter, but Calgary answered with a three-pointer and a layup from Skumatova to push her into double digits before halftime. Collin added another basket to keep Calgary in front, though the Pandas stayed close, matching the Dinos point for point in the quarter. Both teams scored 21 points in the second, for a 40-40 deadlock after the first 20 minutes.

Coming out of the break, Calgary set the tone with increased energy and ball movement. Christine Geraldo opened the second half with a jumper off an assist from Oss, before Collin knocked down another three and Storie added a layup to spark a quick 7-0 run. Geraldo's defensive pressure led to three steals in the opening three minutes, helping Calgary score the first 10 points of the half for a 50-40 edge just 3:30 into the third. A fadeaway jumper from Pollyanna Storie gave the Dinos a 59–50 advantage heading into the final quarter.

Much like the night prior, Kiah Easton-Ihediohanma got hot late and two picture-perfect three pointers early in the fourth brought the Pandas roaring back to within four on two occasions. Calgary was able to maintain its composure over the frame, however, moving the ball effectively to create scoring opportunities. Oss continued to control the paint with key rebounds and blocks, while baskets from Geraldo and Milica Gajic helped the Dinos ahead the whole way.

Free throws for Alberta by Mishynn Miller and Jayden Tanner made this a two-point game with just 25 seconds left, but big free throws from Collin combined with a tremendous defensive play from Oss helped seal the win for the home team.

This marks the first weekend sweep for Calgary over Alberta since 2018.

"We definitely came out ready to compete," Skumatova added. "My teammates give me the confidence to take those shots, because I know Kourtney has our backs on the defensive end."

With the win, No. 7 Calgary moves to 14-4 in league play and in third place with just two games remaining. Meanwhile, No. 3 Alberta sits just one game behind the Dinos for fourth place in the top-heavy Prairie Division at 13-5.

The Dinos return to the Jack next Friday at 6 p.m. to face Mount Royal for the start of their final homestand of the regular season. Meanwhile, the Pandas head back to Edmonton and will host Lethbridge for a pair of home games next weekend.

-UC-