Canada West Semi Final: Bolduc blasts away as Alberta ends UBC season

by Matt Gutsch, U of Alberta Sports Information

Archive photo courtesy Uwe Welz / U of Alberta Athletics: Emily Bolduc scored a career-best 27 points, making all the difference on Sunday and allowing Alberta to qualify for the Canada West Final Four

EDMONTON - Emily Bolduc scored a career high 27-points to lead the CIS No. 8-ranked University of Alberta Pandas to an 80-78 game three and series win over the No. 10 UBC Thunderbirds, Sunday afternoon at the U of A's Main Gym.

The win gives Alberta a 2-1 series advantage and moves them on to the Canada West Final Four, to be hosted by the No.1 ranked and defending champion Simon Fraser Clan next weekend. The Pandas will be the No. 3 seed at the tournament, and will open up against the No. 2 seed Regina Cougars Friday night at 9:15 p.m. MST.

Bolduc picked a good time to have the best offensive night of her four-year career after the Pandas won the opening game, but gassed the rebound match, giving the UBC momentum heading into the series clinching game. The Calgary native poured in 27-points, six better than her previous career high, helping the Pandas stay on course to a national championship berth.

The T-Birds certainly didn't make it easy on the home side, opening up with a slim 19-17 lead after the first quarter.

Alberta roared to life during the second quarter, putting the boots to the Birds to the tune of a 30-13 advantage to take a 47-32 lead into the half-time break.

The Pandas also got big first half stats from rookie Kendra Asleson and sophomore guard Kaitlyn Arbuthnot. Asleson was near perfection scoring 15 first half points, by shooting 5-5 from the field and 4-4 from the free-throw line. She also added a pair of rebounds, while Arbuthnot chipped in five assists and two steals during the opening half.

After owning leads of 15-points in the second and third quarters, the U of A looked like they were cruising to a win, but like they did during their game two win, UBC stormed back to make things interesting.

The T-Birds, led by Devan Lisson and Alex Vieweg, out-scored Alberta 23-17 in the third, changing a 15-point deficit to a nine point gap heading into the fourth.

UBC then rolled off a 6-0 run early in the fourth, drawing to 64-61, but the Pandas were always able to do just enough to stay ahead, despite being outplayed.

Back-to-back buckets by Arbuthnot increased the Alberta advantage to 70-61, but Lia St. Pierre picked up a deuce, sparking another 6-0 run by the Birds to make the score 70-67.

The teams continued to trade buckets with UBC inching closer every time, but, Bolduc eventually sealed the deal with a knifing lay-up with under a minute to go, leaving the Thunderbirds in desperation mode. Alberta then forced a turnover, and after the in-bound, was able to hang-on to the slim one-point win.

The Thunderbirds had four players hit double-digit scoring, including two players, Huntley and St.Pierre, with 17. Candace Morisset added 15-points, while Vieweg added 10 and five boards.

Outside of Bolduc's 27, Asleson tied her career high of 18-points, while Marisa Haylett chipped in with 12, and Arbuthnot banked 11.