There would be no opening day upset this year.
The host University of Regina Cougars beat the McGill Martlets 68-53 Friday in Regina in quarter-final action at the CIS women’s national basketball championship. Last year the Cougars were stunned on the opening day after entering the tournament as the top seed.
The Cougars will continue the quest to win their second women’s national championship when they face St. Mary’s Saturday night at 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw’s Kehlsie Crone hit a three-pointer at the end of the third quarter to give the Cougars a 40-39 lead. The Cougars went on a 13-6 run to go ahead 62-50 with 2:24 remaining.
Crone finished with seven points and was 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
Lindsay Ledingham and Michelle Clark led the Cougars with 15 points each and
Brittany Read added 10 points and a dozen rebounds.
The Cougars five starters accounted for 59 of their 68 points.
The Cougars defence held McGill’s top player, Anneth Him-Lazarenko, to 4-for-15 shooting and nine points.
Dianna Ros led the Martlets with 13 points before she fouled out. Gabriela Hebert also fouled out for McGill as she chipped in with eight points off of the bench.
In the other quarters, St. Mary’s beat University of Fraser Valley 62-57.
Two-time defending champion Windsor got a scare, but beat Ottawa 56-46, while Calgary beat Carleton 59-51.
The final will be played Sunday (4 p.m., The Score) at the U of R.
