Lady b-ballers struggle against Huskies

By Todd Andre

Big players dominate big games. In the two biggest games of the season thus far, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ biggest player, reigning CIS most valuable player Sarah Crooks, dominated the University of Calgary Dinos in a Saskatchewan sweep of the Central Division semi-final Feb. 16-17. Crooks tallied a total of 73 points and 38 rebounds against the Dino women, leading her Huskies to a narrow 87-83 overtime victory Friday night and clinching the series Saturday with a 94-65 win.

“Sarah played like a woman possessed!” exclaimed Dino coach Shawnee Harle. “That is the best I have seen her play in five years. [After] talking to the Saskatchewan coach [Lisa Thomaidis], [we both] agreed. She was tougher, more aggressive, more focused than the previous league games the weekend before. She put her team on her shoulders and wouldn’t be denied.”

These teams were closer than the sweep and Saturday’s score reveal. The first half of Friday’s game was almost split evenly between them, with Calgary taking a 37-36 edge into the second half. The Huskies finally pulled ahead 55-48 in the third quarter, forcing the Dinos to play catch up for most of the final frame. Jamie Morck’s last second jumper got Calgary into sudden death tied at 71, but Crooks and company held them off for the 87-83 overtime victory.

The Dinos didn’t seem to have much left in the tank for Saturday’s game. They followed the script of the first game, taking a 17-16 lead after the first quarter, but then