Box Score

Danielle Schmidt (pictured) matched her career high with 22 points as the University of Regina's women's basketball team moved into sole possession of first place in Canada West's Prairie Division with a 76-72 win over Calgary on Friday night at the Jack Simpson Gym in Calgary.

Schmidt hit six three-pointers, tying the school record for most triples in a Canada West game. Brittany Read also had a spectacular game, scoring 18 points and tying her career high with 18 rebounds to notch her sixth double-double of the conference schedule.

The win improves the No. 3-ranked Cougars' record to 15-2 on the season as they pull one game clear of Calgary (14-3) for first in the division. Saturday's game is just as critical for the Cougars, as a loss to Calgary would give the tiebreaker to the Dinos in the event that both teams end up with the same record at the end of the conference schedule.

The game started out all Calgary, as the Dinos got two buckets apiece from Jessica Franz and Tamara Jarrett and scored the first eight points of the game to force a Cougar timeout two and a half minutes in. But the timeout sparked the Cougars, who rallied with an 8-0 run of their own to draw even.

The Cougars took their first lead of the game in the second quarter after buckets by Jennilea Coppola and Michelle Clark on back-to-back possessions early in the period. Calgary jumped back into the lead and had a late five-point advantage, but the Cougars ended the first half on another 8-0 run capped by back-to-back three-pointers by Danielle Schmidt and led by three at the break.

The U of R continued that momentum into the third, where the Cougars reeled off a 23-4 run to seize control of the contest. But even though the visitors took a 21-point lead into the fourth, Calgary made it interesting down the stretch.

The Cougars still had a 20-point lead two minutes into the fourth, but a 10-0 run by Calgary got the Dinos right back into it. Calgary chipped the lead all the way down to three points with 33 seconds left and forced a turnover on the ensuing inbounds pass, but a long three-pointer from the top of the arc by Ashley Hirons that would have tied it hit front iron. Megan Chamberlin was fouled after grabbing the rebound and hit a free throw to make it a two-possession game with four seconds left.

Michelle Clark and Kehlsie Crone both chipped in with eight points for the Cougars, while Clark added a game-high eight assists in the win.

Franz led all players with 29 points and added 11 rebounds for the Dinos. Jarrett ended up with 15 points, while Alex Cole scored 11.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday night in Calgary. Game time is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. (MST).