The road to the national championship began Thursday as the U SPORTS women’s Final 8 opened with four quarterfinal matchups in Québec City.
UNB Reds (2) vs. Carleton Ravens (7)
The UNB Reds opened the tournament with an 81-63 win over the OUA Finals runner-up Carleton Ravens in Thursday’s opening quarterfinal. The AUS champions controlled the pace for much of the game, building separation in the second half to secure their place in the semifinals.
UNB was led by a balanced offensive effort but fourth-year forward Katie Butts posted a double-double of 33 points and 15 rebounds as she was named the Reds' player of the game. Carleton — the tournament’s seventh seed — struggled to keep pace down the stretch as the Reds pulled away late to seal the 18-point win despite the Ravens' player of the game Kyana-Jade Poulin's 23-point effort.
UBC Thunderbirds (4) vs. Saskatchewan Huskies (5)
The Saskatchewan Huskies bounced back from their one and only loss this season with a 71-55 victory over the UBC Thunderbirds on Thursday evening. Saskatchewan built an early first-quarter lead and lead wire-to-wire, answering every push UBC had before pulling away in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Canada West player of the year Gage Grassick led the Huskies with a game-high 25 points and three steals to earn Saskatchewan’s player of the game honours, while Sara Toneguzzi led the Thunderbirds with a career-high 21 points, knocking down five three-pointers, en route to UBC’s player of the game recognition.
Calgary Dinos (3) vs. McGill Martlets (6)
The Calgary Dinos advanced to the semifinals with a 58-45 victory over the McGill Martlets on Thursday. Calgary held a narrow 29-27 lead at halftime in a defensive battle between the Canada West and RSEQ champions before pulling away in the fourth quarter, outscoring McGill 17-7 to secure the win.
Fourth-year guard Kourtney Oss led the Dinos with a double-double of 18 points and 17 rebounds to earn Calgary’s player of the game honours, while second-year forward Emilia Diaz-Ruiz posted a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds for McGill. The Dinos will face the UNB Reds in Saturday’s semifinal.
Toronto Metropolitan Bold (1) vs. Laval Rouge et Or (8)
The hosting Laval Rouge et Or advanced in dramatic fashion; a 57-54 comeback victory over the top-seeded Toronto Metropolitan Bold on Thursday's concluding game of the night. TMU led 31-24 at halftime and extended the margin to 12 points early in the third quarter before Laval rallied, outscoring the Bold 33-18 over the final 17 minutes to complete the comeback.
Sabrine Khelifi led Laval with 14 points and six rebounds, including the go-ahead three-pointer with 15 seconds remaining that broke a 54-54 tie. Brinly Holt added 13 points while Léa-Sophie Verret contributed nine points as the Rouge et Or secured their place in the semifinal round in front of the home crowd.
Catrina Garvey led TMU with 15 points, while Myriam Kone did all she could for the Bold, recording a double-double with 12 points and 17 rebounds. Laval will face the defending national champion Saskatchewan Huskies in Saturday’s semifinal.
Tomorrow's slate (Men's)
- UBC Thunderbirds meet OUA Champion TMU
- RSEQ champion Laval Rouge et Or try to close the cap against Carleton
- Ethan Boag and the Victoria Vikes take on the hosting Calgary Dinos
- Bishops Gaiters and Acadia Axemen compete for a semifinal berth
With Files from Maggie Hsu