Matt Johnson, Huskie Athletics
SASKATOON - After leading by three points at halftime, the University of Saskatchewan women's basketball team finished the game strong as they defeated the Fraser Valley Cascades by a score of 73-41 on Saturday, Nov. 3, at the PAC.
Sabine Dukate had a game-high 15 points for the Huskies, while Summer Masikewich and Maya Olynyk each had double-digit point nights, tallying 12 and 11 respectively.
Katelyn Mallette led the way for the Cascades with a team-high 10 points while adding six rebounds and two rebounds. Eight other Cascades found their way onto the scoresheet as the the visitors came out fighting after a 40-point loss the night before.
The win is the Huskies third straight victory as they move to 3-1 on the season. The loss drops the Cascades down to 2-2, after the team opened its season with back-to-back wins on home floor before dropping both contests in Saskatoon.
The Huskies hopped out to an early 11-2 advantage, as they continued to build on their momentum from the previous night, with Masikewich carrying the way by scoring seven of her team's first 11 points.
Saskatchewan continued to extend their early lead as Dukate and Olynyk knocked down back-to-back triples to put the home side ahead 17-5.
Abby Zawada's three-pointer helped kickstart a Cascades comeback, as they went on a 10-0 run to end the first quarter, which was closed off by an Alexis Worrell three-pointer.
Fraser Valley trimmed Saskatchewan's early lead to three points, as they entered the second quarter down 18-15.
Masikewich racked up seven points in the opening quarter, while Dukate added five of her own to go along with two rebounds.
Fraser Valley was paced by Amanda Thompson's five points, while four other Cascades added buckets in the first quarter, with the team shooting 3-8 from three-point range.
The Huskies were looking to get the transition game early in the second quarter, but a Dukate layup was rejected by Victoria Jacobse, as she swatted the ball out of bounds to get the Cascades bench out of their seats.
Saskatchewan started to set-up their half-court offense, as Kyla Shand went to work down low in the post and knocked down her first bucket of the night, which was followed up by pretty ball movement around the perimeter leading to a Megan Ahlstromthree-ball.
Points were at a premium in the second quarter as the two teams exchanged buckets in a 9-9 frame, giving Saskatchewan a 27-24 lead.
The Huskies struggled from beyond the arc in the second quarter, as they only converted 1-8 attempts from downtown. Meanwhile, six of the Cascades nine points came from the charity stripe after shooting 5-6 from the line.
Saskatchewan's forwards started to make their impact in the third quarter, as Ashley de Sousa Martins knocked down a jumper from the elbow. After she provided a ferocious block on the defensive end, Shand later ran the floor and finished at the rim to extend the Huskies lead to eight.
The Huskies went out on a 7-0 run after a Dukate triple, which was followed by two free-throws by Maya Olynyk and a Brianna Fehr layup to put them ahead 46-31 at the end of the third quarter.
Saskatchewan bounced back with a much more efficient quarter regarding shooting the basketball, as they went 7-16 from the field and outscored their opponents 19-7.
Meanwhile, on the defensive end, they held the Cascades to 3-13 shooting and failed to allow their opponent to reach the free-throw line.
Dukate and Masikewich racked up ten points each through the game's opening three quarters as they combined for 20 of the Huskies 46 points.
Eight Cascades recorded points through the first thirty minutes of action, with Thompson leading the way with six points.
Saskatchewan continued to build upon their lead in the fourth quarter, as they went on a 10-0 run to open the frame. Olynyk tallied six of the points during that stretch, as she helped extend her team's lead to 56-31.
The Huskies displayed their dominance in the final quarter as they outscored the Cascades 27-10 to seal the victory for the home side.
The Huskies will head west next weekend for a date with the Calgary Dinos on Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 at Jack Simpson Gym. Meanwhile, Fraser Valley will stay at home as they play host to the Alberta Pandas in Abbotsford.