EDMONTON – The No.3 ranked University of Alberta Pandas basketball team dispatched the Manitoba Bisons 75-53 in their first home game of the second half of the season, Friday night at the Saville Community Sports Centre.

With the win the Pandas improve to 10-2 on the season, while Bisons drop to 1-12. Alberta also moves into a tie for top spot in the Pioneer division of Canada West along with the 10-3 Regina Cougars.

Pacing the Pandas was Saskia van Ginhoven, as well as sophomore Elle Hendershot and fifth-year guard Sally Hillier. Van Ginhoven finished as the team's top scorer, with 16 points, while Hillier added 11 points, including three from outside of the arc, while Hendershot added 10 points and six boards.

Alberta collected 10 more rebounds than the Bisons, including a 27-14 advantage on the defensive glass, while also significantly outshooting them from all three areas of the floor.
Leading the way for the Bisons was fifth-year forward Vanessa DeVries who finished with a game high in points at 17. Manitoba's next leading scorer, however, was Claire Harvey, who chipped in with six points, while Melanie Edel hauled in nine boards to lead all players on the floor.

Despite the large gap between the teams in the standings, the two teams were very close throughout the opening quarter, until Alberta closed out the quarter with an 11-2 run to lead by 10, at 23-13, after 10 minutes.

After Alberta went into half-time with a 42-25 advantage, the Bisons came out strong in the second half, and found a way to work themselves back into the contest. And although the score line never really threatened to get tied up, or reverse in favour, it was never really comfortable for the nation's No.3 ranked team either.

The Pandas outscored Manitoba by just five points in the third, and then two teams matched each other, bucket for bucket, in the fourth, leaving the Pandas with a 75-53 victory.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday night, with a 5:00 p.m. tip-off.