TANNARA YELLAND
Layout Manager

It was a bloody two-day battle but the Huskies women’s basketball team emerged victorious over the University of Calgary Dinos in their opening playoff series.

In a move that surprised few, the nationally top-ranked Huskies maintained their unprecedented 22-game winning streak, sweeping the University of Calgary Dinos Feb. 25 and 26 in the quarter-finals of the Canada West playoffs. The Huskies won 76-68 and 75-64 over the weekend.

Thanks to their first round sweep, the Huskies will host the Canada West Final Four for the first time in the program’s history March 4 to 5.

“We’ve had some amazing leadership passed on to us, and now that we have five fifth-years we’re hoping we can pass it on,” said Huskies fifth-year point guard Jill Humbert.

“The fact that we’re making a mark on our program is an amazing accomplishment.”

Katie Miyazaki paced the Dogs with 22 points on Feb. 26, while Humbert led the charge on Feb. 25 with 19.

The game on Feb. 25 was barely a contest at all; after conference scoring leader Kim Tulloch knocked down a three-pointer to close out the opening quarter, the Huskies already possessed an 18-12 lead.

And they continued to build on that lead for the rest of the game.

Play got rougher into the third quarter as the Dinos struggled to put up points. That rough style continued on into the next game. Despite the roughhousing, the Huskies entered the fourth frame with a comfortable 16-point lead.

Both games had unusually high numbers of fouls: Tricia Carriere and Jana Spindler each racked up four fouls in the first installment of the series. Dinos Tamara Jarrett and Megan Lang received five fouls each the next evening. The total fouls for each team exceeded 20 during the second game.

Both games saw third quarters in which an abundance of foul calls were made as play got ever more aggressive.

It was a desperate situation for the Dinos, as they fought frantically to continue their season.

Even Dinos head coach Shawnee Harle had to concede the Huskies’ supremacy. “We knew we were over-matched,” she said after Saturday’s game, “but if you’re willing to go fight the fight, you have a chance. We had some chance here — a very slim chance, mind you, but some.”

But the Dinos were unable to do anything with that opportunity and now the Dinos will not advance to the Final Four. Meanwhile, the Huskies’ opening round playoff success last weekend means they will host the tournament.

Despite their continued dominance, Humbert says the Huskies have work to do. The Dogs need “to get a bit hungrier” if they are to match or best their third-place finish at last year’s nationals.

If the Huskies win the Canada West Final Four they immediately qualify for the Final Eight March 18 to 20 in Windsor. However, anything lower than a top-place finish means the Huskies will have to punch their ticket via various regional tournaments held across the country March 11 and 12.

The Huskies open the Canada West Final Four with a semifinal bout against the upstart University of Fraser Valley Cascades at 6:15 p.m. UFV finished seventh in the Canada West standings before upsetting second-ranked University of Winnipeg in the opening round of the playoffs. Third-seed Regina meets fourth-ranked Alberta in the other semifinal at 8 p.m.

The gold medal game tips off at 7 p.m. on March 5, while the bronze medal match is set for 5 p.m. All games take place at the PAC.

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image: Pete Yee/The Sheaf