Huskies finish regular season with 80-33 win over Tigers on Senior Night

HALIFAX, NS - The Saint Mary's Huskies finished off the regular season with a 80-33 win over the Dalhousie Tigers in Atlantic University Sport women's basketball action on Friday night at the Homburg Centre.

It was senior night for the Huskies, as they honoured graduating seniors Katelyn Power (Bayside, NS), Clara Gascoigne (Dartmouth, NS), Marlo Steenbakkers (Ottawa, ON), Aliyah Fraser (New Glasgow, NS), Lucina Beaumont (Fredericton, NB), Chloe Wilson (Dartmouth, NS), and Aki Kobayashi (Osaka, Japan) with a post-game ceremony.

The Huskies got off to a strong start, with seniors Clara Gascoigne (seven points) and Lucy Beaumont (eight points) combining to score 15 of the team's 24 first half points.

Tigers guard Sarah Valley (Regina, SK) hit a rare four-point play to cut the lead to 20-8, but a buzzer-beating lay-in by guard Aki Kobayashi ended the first quarter with the Huskies ahead 24-11.

The second quarter saw the Huskies clamp down defensively, holding the Tigers to just five points on 2/14 shooting, and forward Marlo Steenbakkers scored four points off the bench, with the Huskies taking a 43-16 lead into halftime.

The third quarter was more of the same, with the Huskies defence stifling the Tigers to just six points on 2/13 shooting. Saint Mary's continued to receive strong contributions from their bench, as they chipped in 13 of the team's 22 third quarter points, led by forward Evie Hargraves (Saint John, NB) who scored five.

Both teams emptied out their benches in the fourth quarter, and the Huskies saw quality play from reserve forward Emily Dikdan (Sudbury, ON), who scored a career-high seven points and added eight rebounds on the night, as the Huskies coasted to a 80-33 win over the Tigers.

It was a true team effort for the Huskies, with 11 different players hitting the scoresheet, led by Lucy Beaumont, who put up 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots in just 17 minutes of floor time. Clara Gascoigne added 12 points and four steals, while Chloe Wilson was named Player of the Game with 10 points and five rebounds.

The Tigers were led by Sarah Valley, who scored 12 points off the bench, while forward Samantha Manieri (Toronto, ON) chipped in eight points and six rebounds.

With the win, the U SPORTS #5 ranked Huskies finish the regular season with a 18-2 record, good for first place in the AUS standings and a bye to the semifinals at next weekend's AUS Championship, being played Feb. 28-March 2 at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax. The Huskies will play the lowest advancing seed in the first semifinal, Saturday, March 1 at 1 p.m. GET TICKETS

The Tigers finish the season with a 2-18 record, missing out on a playoff berth.

Recap by Allan April / Saint Mary's Huskies Athletics
Photos by Mona Ghiz / Saint Mary's Huskies Athletics