The University of Regina women's basketball team closed the game on a 17-5 run to clinch a 77-66 victory over the UNBC Timberwolves in Canada West postseason action on Saturday night.
The Cougars outscored UNBC 21-9 in the fourth quarter capped by a 9-0 run in the final 2:11. Regina moves to the quarterfinals with the win, where the second-seeded Alberta Pandas await.
Julia Vydrova led the way for the Cougars with 22 points and eight rebounds. Jade Belmore (pictured) posted an impressive 14 points, 14 rebounds and five assists, while Faith Reid chipped in with 14 points of her own and Cara Misskey added 12.
Sveta Boykova and Alina Shakirova paced the Timberwolves with 15 points apiece.
The Cougars were able to get out in transition in the first quarter, forcing five turnovers by UNBC. Belmore started the game with five straight points and ended the opening 10 minutes with seven points and three rebounds. The opening quarter was capped by a great feed from Misskey to Vydrova, giving the Cougars a 20-14 lead at the end of the frame.
Regina ramped up the defence in the second quarter, as consecutive steals by Misskey and Vydrova led to layups, stretching the Regina lead to 28-17. UNBC countered with a 15-5 run to cut the lead to a point, but triples on consecutive possessions by Reid gave the Cougars a 39-32 lead heading into the halftime break.
The two teams traded baskets in the third quarter, with the Timberwolves ultimately clawing back to take a 57-56 lead into the final frame. From there, the Cougars were solid on both ends of the court. The Timberwolves shot just 4-18 in the fourth quarter while the Cougars cashed in seven out of 10 free throw attempts in the frame. Late triples from Dayna Pearce and Madeleine Tell and a three-point play by Vydrova ballooned the lead to a game-high 11 points and sealed the Cougars' berth to the quarterfinal.
Regina will face off against Alberta on Sunday at 5 p.m. (MDT) with a trip to the Canada West Final Four on the line. The Cougars and Pandas met in Edmonton in an October pre-season contest, with the Cougars coming up with a 78-72 victory.
Sunday's game can be watched live on  https://canadawest.tv.
