EDMONTON - Jenna Harpe had a season-best 15 points and Claire Signatovich had 13 point-19 rebound double-double as the Alberta Pandas cruised to a 73-50 win Saturday night at the Saville Centre.
It was an impressive night on the defensive end for the host Pandas, as they were able to stifle a Victoria offence who struggled to the tune of a 27.3% field goal percentage in the contest.
The Vikes were paced by fifth-year guard Kate Johnson who finished with a game-high 16 points. Emma Kary led the Pandas with 16 points, and added two steals, three assists and five rebounds.
The Pandas win their third-straight, moving to 5-1 and sit second in the Canada West. The Vikes drop to 2-4 with the loss.
The Pandas started the game on an incredible 17-2 run, led mainly by Signatovich who hit on her first four field goal attempts including a deep two off a pick and pop. Alberta was firing on all cylinders, ending the quarter 9/20 on field goal attempts and holding the Vikes to just an 18.8% mark from the field. Signatovich was the leading scorer of the quarter with her eight, and she added six rebounds to aid the Pandas to an impressive 23-9 lead going into the second.
The game got tighter in the second as the Vikes defensive rotations got better and more efficient. They held the Pandas to shoot 30% from the field and generated a couple turnovers in the frame. Vikes guard Brooklyn Walbaum did her best to bring Victoria back, scoring a team-high six points in the quarter, but the Pandas behind a quarter-high seven from Jenna Harpe continued their momentum into the half with a 42-20 lead.
Alberta was dominant on the defensive end, holding the Vikes to a 7/31 mark at the break and forced 12 turnovers largely due to an incredibly effective full-court press. The Panda's Harpe and Emma Kary led all scorers at the intermission with 10 points apiece.
Vic's Johnson led her team hot out of the gate, scoring two quick jumpers to help the Vikes to a 9-4 run to start the third. However, both teams would end up struggling to shoot the ball in the quarter going a combined 12/32 from the floor. There were no open looks to be found, with both teams impressing with their rotations and intensity on the defensive end. Rylee Semeniuk led the Pandas with six points in the quarter, while Brooklyn White paced the Vikes with five of her own. It headed to the fourth with a large 58-36 Alberta lead.
The Vikes would get some fourth quarter offence by way of Ashlyn Day, the leading scorer in the Canada West, who popped a triple and followed it up with a nice and-one jumper. The teams would be in lockstep for the majority of the quarter, but a Harpe triple with two minutes to go put the Pandas up 69-46 and iced the win for the hosts.
The Pandas get the next weekend off before heading out to the coast to face the UBC Thunderbirds (3-0). Victoria returns home for a two-game set versus the 4-1 Trinity Western Spartans.
