Box Score

The University of Regina's women's basketball team pulled out a critical 64-62 road win over No. 7-ranked Fraser Valley on Friday night in Abbotsford, keeping the Cougars in a three-way tie with Saskatchewan and Alberta atop the Prairie Division standings.

The Cougars (15-2) actually trailed in the final 90 seconds of the contest after an Aieisha Luyken layup gave Fraser Valley a 60-58 lead. But Jennilea Coppola tied up the game with a bucket on the U of R's next possession, then a Coppola block led to a huge three-pointer by Katie Polischuk with 30 seconds left that put the Cougars up 63-60.

Kayli Sartori's layup on Fraser Valley's next possession got the Cascades back to within one, but that was as close as the home side would come. Turnovers by both teams and a jump ball with the possession arrow pointing the Cougars' way eventually gave the win to the U of R.

Nicole Clarke (pictured) was 4-for-6 from three-point range and tied for the game high in both points (19) and assists (8), while Polischuk's final dagger was one of five triples she had in her first game back since being injured against Thompson Rivers on Jan. 9. Polischuk ended up with 17 points, while Alyssia Kajati came off the bench to lead all players with eight rebounds in 18 minutes on the floor.

Sartori matched Clarke with 19 points for Fraser Valley, while Nataliia Gavryliuk scored 14 and Luyken ended up with 10 points and eight assists. The Cascades fall to 12-5 on the season and into a three-way tie for first place in a similarly packed Pacific Division.

The No. 4-ranked Cougars are back in action on Saturday night with a road game at Trinity Western (4-13) in Langley, B.C. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (PST).