Box Score
EDMONTON - The No.5 University of Alberta Pandas basketball team wrapped up the regular season Saturday night at the Saville Community Sports Centre, defeating the Lethbridge Pronghorns 58-36. In doing so, they finished the year at 16-4 and have clinched third place in the Pioneer Division, entering the playoffs on a five-game winning streak.

The Pandas were led offensively by senior forward Saskia Van Ginhoven, who had a team-high 19 points and finished with 1,002 career points and 493 rebounds in her five seasons at the University of Alberta. Senior forwards Kendra Asleson and Megan Vande Kraats each had a team-high eight rebounds. Third-year guard Maddie Rogers had a team-high five assists. Van Ginhoven, Vande Kraats, Asleson, Sally Hillier, and Jamie Norum played their final regular season home games at the SCSC on Senior Night.

The Pronghorns were led offensively by second-year guard Zoe Dahl with a team-high eight points. Senior forward Kim Veldman played in her final career conference game and did not disappoint, scoring eight points as well and hauling down a game-high 13 rebounds. Third-year guard Allexia Barros had a team-high three assists.

The game started quite evenly at 4-4, after a Van Ginhoven basket tied up the game. Alberta then went on a 8-0 run, taking control of the quarter behind a Renee Byrne three that made it 12-4. Three points from Kylie Mazutinec made it 12-7 Pandas after one.

Alberta started the second quarter on a 6-2 run, leading 18-9 early in the second. Van Ginhoven had nine points in the quarter and the Pandas would go on to lead 25-16 at halftime.

In the second half, Alberta continued to pull away on an 11-5 run to lead 36-21, highlighted by the layup from Van Ginhoven to make it 31-20 that was her 1,000th career point, and would lead 42-25 after three quarters.

Lethbridge would battle back in the fourth, with their highest-scoring quarter of 11 points, led by three-pointers from both Sara Simovic and Dahl, getting as close as a 12-point deficit at 47-35 but Alberta would hold on, going on an 11-1 run for the 58-36 victory.

The win clinches third place for the Pandas in the Pioneer division playoff race at 16-4, and will set them up with a playoff series in the Canada West quarter-finals against the Macewan Griffins in a Battle of Edmonton. The Griffins also finished the season 16-4 in the Explorer division and it will be the first-ever CIS games between the two programs, February 27 - March 1 at the SCSC. Lethbridge finishes their season at 4-16.