The Bisons women’s basketball team played against the Alberta Pandas at the Investors Group Athletic Centre on Jan. 24. The herd lost with a final score of 70-45.
The first quarter started with the Pandas establishing a solid lead, beginning the game with aggressive scoring while the Bisons struggled to find their footing, mainly attempting three-point shots due to the Pandas’ tight defence. Despite the coach’s efforts to redirect the Bisons with sideline instructions, the Bisons could only manage to score four points in the first quarter, thanks to Anna Miko and Paige Schatkowsky. The first quarter ended 15-4 in favour of the Pandas.
The second quarter began with a three-pointer from Emerson Martin of the Bisons, showing a spark of potential comeback. However, the Pandas responded swiftly, maintaining their scoring streak with Annacy Palmer adding a three-point jump shot. The game’s physicality escalated, with fouls contributing to the Pandas’ lead, finishing the half at 38-20. The Bisons showed better free throw performance but could not capitalize enough on drawing fouls to close the gap significantly.
With a daunting deficit, the Bisons started the third quarter determined to close the gap. The Bisons continued to struggle with shots bouncing off the rim. The Pandas exploited defensive gaps and extended their lead further to 59-30 with the help of Claire Signatovich, who scored six points alone. The quarter showcased the Bisons’ resilience but highlighted their inability to effectively disrupt the Pandas’ control.
The final quarter opened with a few fouls, setting a tone of continued intensity. The Bisons tried to rally, scoring alongside the Pandas, but the gap remained too vast to bridge effectively. This was the only quarter where the Bisons outscored the Pandas by 15-11, with a three-pointer and a layup contributed by Martin.
The professionalism and level-headed plays by both teams marked the end of the game, with the Pandas securing a decisive victory with a 70-45 final score.
In the game between the Pandas and the Bisons, certain players stood out due to their contributions on both offence and defence. On the Bisons side, Martin was the standout offensive player, putting up 17 points. Miko supported the offensive effort with eight points, drawing fouls effectively to earn free throws.
In a post-match interview, the Bisons women’s basketball head coach Michele Sung expressed disappointment in the team’s lack of energy despite playing at home, though she acknowledged moments of resilience.
When asked about where things went wrong, Sung pointed out “we had a tough time getting to the free-throw line, which is usually a good source of some offensive scoring and gives us an opportunity to kind of anchor our defence as well.”
Sung stated “we tried to switch up our defence a bit. I tried to get to some different looks offensively, but there wasn’t a whole lot that was successful.”
Inquiring into what challenges the Pandas presented, Sung said, “I thought they did a better job of competing in half-court. Like I said, I saw glimmers of us being able to do it, but we didn’t match it for the full 40 minutes.”
When asked about potential strategies for the next game, Sung emphasized the need to address turnovers and boost confidence in ball handling. The Bisons faced the Alberta Pandas again the following day on Saturday, Jan. 25, and lost 96-50.
The Bisons women’s basketball team will play against the Winnipeg Wesmen on Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. CT in the Investors Group Athletic Centre.
