Women's Basketball Huskies set focus on playoffs after losses to Eagles

The Keyano Huskies Women’s Basketball team got an early taste of playoff action as they squared off against The King’s University Eagles at the Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre to close out their regular season.  

While the results didn’t go in the Huskies’ favour, they laid the groundwork for what they hope is a successful venture down to Edmonton later this month at the conference championships. 

“It’s a really good weekend,” Head Coach Dwayne Vigilance said of the 71-58 and 78-65 defeats. “It’s nice to play a team of their caliber right before playoffs. It gives us an idea of where we are and the things we need to do heading into playoffs.”  
 
While the Eagles did jump out to an 18-9 lead after the opening quarter Friday, the Huskies were able to match the division’s top-ranked team in the second quarter and even won the third quarter by a 19-15 margin before the visitors secured the win.  
 
The Huskies were led by a 22-point performance from Kaylynn Tucker and nine points from Emma Tomchuk while Jaylynn Twin and rookie Alexis Kemp each had eight in the game.  
 
Saturday, the Huskies played an inspired second half. Down 12 with 20 minutes to go, the Huskies chipped away until the margin was only six at the end of the third quarter and continued briefly into the fourth quarter until the Eagles wrestled back control of the match.   

“Playoffs is all about who wants to fight and who wants to win the fight,” Vigilance continued. “It was nice for us to fight through.  
 
“We didn’t get to where we wanted to and they extended the lead, but I liked the fact that we fought back twice in that game and closed it to about two. It was really good, I liked that.”  
 
Tucker dropped 28 in her final regular season game with the Huskies. Maja Besic added 11 points and 10 rebounds for the double-double while Twin added a 12-point performance in the loss.   

“It’s a coach's dream to have kids for four or five years,” Vigilance said of the team’s graduating players in Tucker and Besic. “They helped build the program and we have a really good history with kids staying for five years.  

“I’ve very proud of them.” 
 
Huskies to take on Clippers at ACAC Championships

With the regular season concluding, the Huskies now know their first-round opponents from the South Division, matching up against the Briercrest College Clippers.  

One of the tighter matches of the Huskies’ first half, a 58-54 decision in favour of the Clippers was the lone battle between the two this season with the Huskies now eager for a rematch opportunity.  

“We’re really good when we attack and get downhill and get our bigs involved,” added Vigilance. 
 
The two sides will tip-off at 1:00pm on Friday, February 28 at NAIT’s gymnasium in Edmonton, Alta.