Ahlstrom drains 3-pointer allowing Huskies to advance
Win over Thunderbirds means U of S goes on to play Alberta next weekend
Carly Ahlstrom made the shot of her life Friday.
With 34.8 seconds remaining and her University of Saskatchewan Huskies trailing by two points, Ahlstrom ever-so-cooly nailed a three-pointer to give her team the lead for good.
The host Huskies — who trailed for the entire third quarter and nearly the whole fourth quarter — fought back from an 11-point deficit for a 76-72 victory over the visiting University of British Columbia Thunderbirds at the PAC.
With the win, coupled with a surprising loss by the top-seeded University of Calgary Dinos to the University of Alberta Pandas, Saskatchewan will play host to the Canada West final next weekend in Saskatoon. Which was breaking news to Ahlstrom.
“What, we’re hosting next weekend?” Ahlstrom said in astonishment.
“Oh, my goodness. My gosh, I’m so happy we can play another game here, especially for our fifth-years. It gives them a chance to play one final game here.”
While the Pandas upset the host Dinos 80-78 in conference semifinal action Friday in Calgary, the Huskies had their hands full with the Thunderbirds and never looked entirely comfortable.
“It was definitely a serious time,” said Ahlstrom.
“But I just know I trust my teammates, I trust my coaches and we were able to stick together through that.”
If not for Ahlstrom’s clutch shot, and three free-throws — two by Summer Masikewich — Saskatchewan would not have prevailed.
“It was huge,” smiled Ahlstrom, who helped give her older sister and teammate, Megan, at least another game on home court.
“It was definitely awesome. I’m just happy it (three-point attempt) went in.”
Saskatchewan led 38-36 at the half but trailed 57-52 after three quarters.
UBC took its first lead of the game in the final two minutes of the first half, jumping ahead 34-33. The T-birds began the third quarter with a 12-0 run and led for most of the second half.
“We were expecting really tough competition from them,” Ahlstrom said of UBC, which finished the regular season with a 16-4 record, averaging 75.7 points for and 64.8 points against.
Saskatchewan finished the regular season with an 18-2 record, a mark that saw the Huskies tie their all-time single-season record for fewest losses. The record equalled their 2015-16 season, which saw them go on to win their first U Sports national championship in school history.
HUSKIES TAKE 1-0 SERIES LEAD IN HOCKEY
In Canada West men’s hockey semifinal action Friday, the Saskatchewan Huskies edged the Calgary Dinos 2-1 at Merlis Belsher Place.
Saskatchewan leads the bestof-three series 1-0. Game 2 goes Saturday (7 p.m.) at MBP.
Logan Cable and Colin Shirley tallied first-period goals to give the Hockey Dogs a 2-1 lead after the opening period.
Ryan Graham replied for Calgary, which got outshot 8-3 in the first frame.
Saskatchewan (22-4-2) entered the weekend as one of the hottest teams in the nation, winning 11 straight and 19 of its last 20 games.
Meanwhile, the Dinos (18-7-3) came into the Canada West semifinal on a four-game winning streak thanks to a two-game sweep of the Manitoba Bisons in the conference quarter-final, recording 6-2 and 2-1 wins to advance to the final four.