By The Lee Bogle and Sean Nyilassy
The Dinos women’s basketball team left another pile of crushed dreams and really tall sobbing post-adolescent girls at the Panda HoopFest tournament Oct. 22-24. With the body count now at six straight, the girls wrapped up their pre-season with a bang and another trophy.
The first victim fell Friday night when our Dinos met the Trinity Western University Spartans. The ancient Spartan army couldn’t withstand the offensive onslaught of the confident Dinos team. Rookies Jamie Morck and Carolyn Foltinek joined the veteran starting line-up for the game.
“You don’t wanna disappoint,” Foltinek said of the pressures of starting. “It’s a chance to impress the coaches.”
All 12 team members saw court time, four of them breaking the ten point barrier, proving just how deep the bench is this year.
“I have lots of confidence in players on the bench,” Head Coach Shawnee Harle bragged. “I really like the rookies’ work ethic, their coachability, their character. They’re challenging the returning players and earning valuable minutes.”
Calgary dominated the game, leading 41-24 at the half and cruising to a 75-55 Spartan slaying. Tanya Hautala was named Player of the Game for contributing an astounding 19 points in 21 minutes of floor time. And what is her secret?
“I’m going for drawing the foul,” she unwittingly confided. “I’ve gotta get better at the acting part.”
The Dinos tournament victory at McGill Oct. 15-17 didn’t scare off the Frenchies from launching a counter assault on Canadian soil. The Concordia University Stingers stung hard early in the game, keeping the score close with the Dinos leading 27-24 at the half. Unfortunately for Concordia, Lindsay Maundrell pulled up her socks and led the Dinos to a 61-51 victory. She was named Player de la Game and winner of our hearts with 16 points, six rebounds and three steals. The Stinger ladies had stinging asses all the way home; thanks to the spanking they received by the Dinos hand.
Harle again mixed the starting line like a martini for the final game against the York University Lions.
“I don’t want anyone to assume they’re a starter,” she warned while shaking her fist.
The Dinos had another narrow lead at the half to the tune o’ 26-22. This time it was Cory Bekkering who stepped up for the Dinos. She added 12 points and 11 boards earning her Player O’ the Game salutations. The final score rest at 53-51 thanks to the Dinos resilience toward the end of the game.
“We out tough and out fight the teams in the last three minutes,” Harle explained of her winning strategy.
The ladies regular season begins with a game against the defending national champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds Fri., Nov. 5. The ladies then search for treasure on the island when they meet the University of Victoria Vikes Sat., Nov. 6. YARRR!
Harle is keeping her preparation plans on the down-low, but assures us; “UBC will be preparing their butts off for the next two weeks. If anyone lacks confidence it’s them.”