CONSOLATION #1: Huskies down McGill, to play for fifth

Final	1	2	3	4	T
McGill (0-1)	15	16	13	9	53
Saskatchewan (0-1)	12	12	14	20	58
Calgary, AB

McGill	Saskatchewan
Pts: Anneth Him-Lazarenko - 14	Pts: Dalyce Emmerson - 16
Reb: Francoise Charest - 11	Reb: Dalyce Emmerson - 12
Ast: Dianna Ros - 4	Ast: Katie Miyazaki - 4

Team Statistics	McGill	Saskatchewan
Field Goal %	26.2% (17-65 )	34.6% (18-52 )
Rebounds	44	47
Assists	9	9
Turnovers	14	19
Pts off Turnovers	22	10
2nd Chance Pts	19	9
Pts in the Paint	20	16
Fastbreak Pts	2	0
Bench Pts	22	21

full stats

Courtesy of University of Calgary sports information office / photo credit David Moll

CALGARY (CIS) – The sixth-seeded University of Saskatchewan Huskies came back to defeat the No. 7 McGill Martlets 58-53 in the first consolation match at the CIS women’s basketball championship on Sunday afternoon in the University of Calgary’s Jack Simpson Gym.

Both teams were coming off quarter-final losses and responded well, making a couple of adjustments while coming out more relaxed and ready. McGill was able to improve its shooting and got the bench involved early, compared to Saskatchewan which seemed to prefer a more patient game to try and get their shooting back on the right track.

The Huskies, who dropped a heartbreaking 73-70 overtime decision to No. 3 Ottawa on Saturday, will face the winner of the Regina-Acadia consolation semifinal in the fifth-place game on Monday at 1 p.m. SSNCanada.ca will provide live streaming.

The Martlets, who lost 65-43 to No. 2 UBC in the first round, return home with an 0-2 record from their first CIS championship appearance since 1996.

Dalyce Emmerson, from Prince Albert, Sask., was the top scorer for the Huskies, registering 16 points. Richmond, B.C. native Katie Miyazaki picked up player-of-the-game honours for Saskatchewan with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.

“We called a timeout in the second half and got things figured out,” said Saskatchewan head coach Lisa Thomaidis of the Huskies’ turnaround. “We got out shooting up and that was a big difference.”

In the first half of their quarter-final against Ottawa, the Huskies were able to jump on their opponent early for a quick advantage on the scoreboard. That wouldn’t be the case on Sunday afternoon as McGill kept up with Saskatchewan and eventually grabbed the lead late in the first quarter. The Martlets carried that momentum over to the second quarter where then would open up a 12 point lead. McGill was up 31-24 at halftime.

Anneth Him-Lazarenko of Panama City had 14 points to lead McGill, followed by Hélène Bibeau, from St. Bruno, Que., who had 12 points.

“I think our ladies played hard,” said McGill head coach Ryan Thorne following the game. “I just think some lack of execution cost us down the stretch.”

For the second straight quarter, the Huskies allowed the Martlets to grab the first nine points scored. Saskatchewan would get things going near the end of the third as they brought McGill’s lead to as low as six. The Huskies continued to push the Martlets and took the lead early in the fourth quarter. The teams went back and forth trading the lead before Saskatchewan would take the lead for the final time and keep it until the final buzzer.

The Huskies were also able to dominate in the paint during the second half, receiving 20 opportunities from the free-throw line after the break after taking just seven in the first 20 minutes.

Overall, the Huskies out-rebounded McGill 47-44 and maintained a 34.6 field goal percentage, compared to 26.2 by the Martlets.

STAT LEADERS

Scoring by quarter:
SSK 12-12-14-20: 58
McG 15-16-13-9: 53

Saskatchewan
Points: Dalyce Emmerson (16), Katie Miyazaki (10), Kelsey Trulsrud (10)
Rebounds: Dalyce Emmerson (12), Katie Miyazaki (10)
Assists: Katie Miyazaki (4)

Player of the game: Katie Miyazaki

McGill
Points: Anneth Him-Lazarenko (14), Hélène Bibeau (12), Marie-Ève Martin (9)
Rebounds: Françoise Charest (11), Anneth Him-Lazarenko (8)
Assists: Dianna Ros (4)

Player of the game: Anneth Him-Lazarenko

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE & RESULTS (all times MOUNTAIN TIME)

NOTE: Live webcast of all games on SSN Canada (ssncanada.ca). Semifinals will be broadcast live on Shaw TV and NBA TV Canada, and the final will be broadcast live on Shaw TV and on a two-hour tape delay on NBA TV Canada.

Saturday, March 17
12:00 Quarter-final #1: UBC 65, McGill 43
14:00 Quarter-final #2: Ottawa 73, Saskatchewan 70 (OT)
17:00 Quarter-final #3: Windsor 94, Acadia 46
19:00 Quarter-final #4: Calgary 75, Regina 66

Sunday, March 18
12:00 Consolation #1: Saskatchewan 58, McGill 53
14:00 Consolation #2: Acadia vs. Regina
17:00 Semifinal #1: UBC vs. Ottawa (LIVE on Shaw TV and NBA TV Canada)
19:00 Semifinal #2: Windsor vs. Calgary (LIVE on Shaw TV and NBA TV Canada)

Monday, March 19
13:00 5th place: Saskatchewan vs. TBD
15:00 Bronze medal
19:00 Championship final (LIVE on Shaw TV / tape delay 9 p.m. MT on NBA TV Canada)

-CIS-