USports Yearbook: Calgary Dinos vs Alberta Pandas, 2/21/20
These two teams had met many times before, but this late-season was a very different type of meeting, as there was more at stake for both the Alberta Pandas and Calgary Dinos, who were on home court at the Jack Simpson Gymnasium in Calgary.
The winners would secure a place in the Canada West championship, where the Saskatchewan Huskies awaited. The way the game itself unfolded showed just how much both teams wanted to move on to the final.
The Pandas' play in the paint saw them take a double-digit lead in the opening quarter. Calgary responded with eight unanswered, but still had a lot of distance to make up. In the second quarter Erin McIntosh and Bobbi-Jo Colburn got Calgary closer and closer to the lead, which was finally reached by Liene Stalidzane.
Alberta's Megan Tywoniuk hit from inside the arc to tie the scores at 39 apiece at half-time. She was followed by Vanessa Wild, who had six unanswered points to start the second half, and Clare Signatovich picked up the scoring slack, putting the Panda's up by seven.
McIntosh and Stalidzane then combined to return to the lead to Calgary in the third, though Wild and Signatovich won it back for Alberta shortly after. A tight conclusion to the third quarter ended with a last-second three from Reyna Crawford, which put the Dinos up by two ahead of the fourth quarter.
The teams exchanged baskets for the first five minutes of the final period, at the end of which the scores were level, until separate short-range looks from Signatovich and Vanessa Wild gave Alberta a four-point advantage.
Both sides started sending one another to the free-throw line, where Calgary were able to keep it a one-possession game until an and-one layup from Brooklyn Legault with two minutes left put the Pandas up by six.
The combination of McIntosh and Coburn again worked for Calgary and gave them hope when they needed most, the two between them tying the scores with a minute to go. In which time, a foul by Stalidzane on Tywoniuk sent her to free-throw line and she converted both shots for Alberta.
On the final possession, Calgary missed two final chances to save the game and were left crushed while the Alberta Pandas were overjoyed, having won their place in the Canada West final after their 80-78 defeat of the Dinos.
Alberta had five players finishing in double digits, with Wild as their high scorer with 15 points. Calgary could take some small comfort from a double-double from Erin McIntosh, 28 points and 14 rebounds, as well as 21 points from Liene Stalidzane.
The Pandas went on to the final and face defending champions Saskatchewan, who captured their second straight Canada West title with a 61-52 win.
