Huskies women headed to Canada West hoops final
The best outside shooting team in the conference can get the job inside, as well.
The University of Saskatchewan Huskies got 17 points from rookie Kyla Shand plus 13 points and 13 rebounds from Summer Masikewich on their way to a decisive 7248 victory over the Trinity Western University Spartans to take their best-of-three Canada West conference women’s basketball semifinal 2-1 at the PAC on the U of S campus.
After dropping a close one, 6760, in the final minute Friday, the Huskies were in complete command Saturday and built up a 4124 lead at the half.
With the series win, Saskatchewan returns to the Canada West final for a fifth straight year as the Huskies take aim at a third consecutive conference title and fourth in five years when they go up against the provincial rival University of Regina Cougars in a one-game showdown Friday in Regina.
The Huskies also automatically earn a berth in the U SPORTS national championship Final 8 tournament at Regina.
After trailing the Spartans by as much as 11 one night earlier, the Huskies mastered a complete turnaround.
The difference?
“It’s always our defensive intensity when we can get stops,” said U of S head coach Lisa Thomaidis.
Shand was tough to stop inside and she was just happy to do her part.
“We did a really great job of finding each other and just feeding off the energy together,” said the rookie Shand. “It was a really successful team effort.”
U of S teams went three-for-three Saturday in their quest to earn a national championship berth and it’s no surprise that the women’s basketball team is once again in that mix.
“It’s awesome to know, right now, we’re going to nationals, to know we’re competing for another CanWest banner, to know we’re getting another chance at a national championship,” admitted Thomaidis, whose Huskies will be one of three Canada West teams in the Final 8.
Saskatchewan will meet Regina in the final for the third straight year. Meanwhile, the Spartans will play the Calgary Dinos for a conference bronze and the final spot in the national championship. WRESTING GOLD FOR SCHELL
It would seem that the first time is the charm for University of Saskatchewan wrestler Alexandra Schell who, while making her first appearance at the U Sports Championship in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. on the weekend, earned a gold medal in the women’s 48-kilogram division.
The third-year kinesiology student also earned a gold medal while attending the Canada West Championship for the first time two weeks ago.
Both Huskies’ teams finished sixth in the standings. The men’s team had 29 points, the women’s team had 24. U OF S WOMEN’S TRACK SQUAD WINS TEAM TITLE
Thirteen podium finishes helped the University of Saskatchewan women’s track & field team to earn 97 points at the Canada West Championship in Winnipeg on the weekend and claim the team title for the 22nd time.
Four of the women’s team athletes were multi-medal winners as Julie Labach won gold in the 600 and 1,000-metre races and silver in the 1500m, Katelyn Lehner earned gold in the 60m hurdles and silver in long jump, Olena Olenick claimed gold in weight throw and silver in shot put, and Courtney Hufsmith finished second in the 3,000m and third in the 1,500m.
Additionally, Leadan Chartier and Naomi Manske took the top spot in pentathlon and triple jump, respectively, while the women’s 4x400m team earned silver and the 4x200m team won bronze.
On the men’s side, the Huskies finished fifth, as Kieran Johnston won the team’s lone gold medal in the heptathlon and added a silver medal in the 60m hurdles. Meanwhile, bronze medals were earned by Landon Gill in heptathlon, Cole Fry in weight throw and Elliott Klassen in 60m hurdles.