Box Score Box Score

The University of Regina's No. 3-ranked women's basketball team led Victoria by as many as 15 points in the second half, but had to hold off a furious Vikes rally and ending up hanging on for a 55-53 win on Saturday night at the McKinnon Gym in Victoria.

The Cougars actually trailed by four points late in the fourth quarter, but regained the lead on a huge three-pointer by Gabrielle Gheyssen with just over a minute remaining. A bucket by Debbie Yeboah gave Victoria the lead on the ensuing possession, but Carmen Stewart hit a pair of clutch free throws to take the lead right back. The Cougars made two defensive stops in the final 30 seconds to seal the victory.

Gheyssen ended up with a team-high 13 points in just 17 minutes on the floor for the Cougars, while Brittany Read scored 11 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Joanna Zalesiak had ten points, six assists, and six rebounds for Regina.

Yeboah and Kayla Dykstra each had 14 points for Victoria.

The win improves Regina's Prairie Division-leading record to 8-2, while the Vikes fall to 5-4 with the loss.

The Cougars will hit the road again next weekend for a pair of road games at Manitoba (5-6).

NOTES: Read has scored at least ten points in all ten of Regina's Canada West games this season.