Box Score Making the most of a third-quarter offensive burst, the No.10 University of Alberta Pandas won their home opener over the University of Winnipeg Wesmen, a 70-52 decision Friday night at Saville Community Sports Centre in Edmonton.
Senior guard Jessilyn Fairbanks had a game-high 19 points and added eight rebounds while fifth-year guard Megan Wickstrom, the team scoring leader coming into the weekend, put up a dozen points. Guard Renee Byrne (fifth-year) and Maddie Rogers (fourth-year) netted 11 points apiece, Rogers also adding seven assists.
Former Canada West All-Star Megan Noonan scored a team-high 12 points for the visitors while third-year post Skylar Boulanger added 10 and five rebounds.
A Wickstrom three-ball and Fairbanks success from the charity stripe staked the home team to an early 5-0 lead but the Wesmen battled back to tie the score at 10-10, the two squads then exchanging the lead four times before Alberta took a one-point lead, 17-16, into the second quarter.
Even though the Pandas extended the lead to seven two minutes in, the resilient Winnipeg squad continued their fight, fourth-year forward Taylor Thorkelsson nailing the buzzer-beater to give the Wesmen a one-point lead at halftime.
Fairbanks was crucial in the 18-2 run that opened up the game in the third quarter, the Edmonton native netting eight points over that stretch, the Pandas team shooting at 67% inside the paint to build a 14-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
Though the Wesmen gave a good effort to start the final quarter in hopes of tying things up once more, Alberta finished strong with a 12-5 run to cement the victory.
The 3-0 Pandas host 1-2 Winnipeg in the second game of the weekend series tomorrow night at 6 p.m. (Winnipeg Time, live on canadawest.tv)
-Files from University of Alberta Sports Information
