VICTORIA  - A fourth-quarter push by the University of Saskatchewan was enough to overcome the University of Victoria women's basketball team's early lead, with the Huskies besting the Vikes 74-63, Jan. 27 at CARSA Performance Gym.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Free throws opened the Vikes' scoring against the Huskies, with Makena Anderson and Tana Pankratz each going 2-for-2 from the line for the 4-2 Vikes lead with 8:30 to play in the opening quarter.
• A 10-point Saskatchewan run put the Huskies in front, 12-4, with just over six minutes to play in the first quarter.
• Fighting their way back, a Karis de Paiva layup and four points from Abigail Becker via two free throws and a layup tied the game, 14-14, with 2:54 still on the clock.
• Back-and-forth for the final three minutes, a Pankratz jumper made the score 23-21 in favour of the Huskies after the opening 10 minutes of play.
• Two free throws by de Paiva and a Pankratz three opened the second-quarter scoring to put the Vikes ahead, 26-23 with 9:15 until halftime.
• Building out a lead over the Huskies, the Vikes capped a 13-2 run with a Pankratz three for a 37-25 advantage with 6:43 remaining.
• Sierra Reisig gave the Vikes their largest lead of the game with a layup, 41-27 with 4:57 showing on the clock.
• A run from the Huskies pulled the visiting side within six, 46-40, at halftime.
• Saskatchewan began to narrow the Vikes' lead in the third quarter, using a layup to pull back within three, 52-49 with 6:25 remaining, but was met with a Becker layup to put the Vikes back up by five, 54-49 with 4:43 to go in the third.
• Though the Huskies took the lead, 57-55, with 1:21 to play, a three-pointer by Pankratz put the Vikes back on top, 58-57, at the end of the third quarter.
• Trading baskets through the first three minutes of the final frame, the Vikes were plagued by a near five-minute scoring drought, allowing the Huskies to take a 68-61 lead with 2:31 remaining in the game.
• Coming out of a Vikes-called timeout, a steal-turned-layup by de Paiva brought the score to 68-63 with Sask still ahead and under two minutes to play.
• Unable to put any more points on the board, the Vikes fell to the Huskies, 74-63. 

WORTH NOTING

• Pankratz led the Vikes with 22 points, adding six rebounds, one assist, one steal, and a team-high three blocks.
• Becker added 12 points and six rebounds in 26 minutes on the floor.
• Four Vikes tied for a team-high six rebounds: Pankratz, Becker, Anderson, and Mimi Sigue.
• The Vikes sit at 4-10 on the season with the loss, while the top-ranked Huskies remain unbeaten at 16-0.

UP NEXT
The Vikes continue their homestand, hosting Brandon University Feb. 2-3 at CARSA Performance Gym.