EDMONTON — Saskatchewan Huskies forward Carly Ahlstrom’s 27-point performance overwhelmed the Laval Rouge et Or in the U Sports women’s basketball championship semifinal, propelling the Huskies to their first national championship final since 2020.
The semifinal pitted the No. 1 seed Huskies against the No. 4 seed Rouge et Or, who remained undefeated on the season entering the game.
Laval’s early first quarter returns made everyone at the Saville Community Sports Centre believe it would stay that way. They roared out of the gate with a 16-0 run that put Saskatchewan on their heels. Guards Léa-Sophie Verret and Sabrine Khelifi led the way with determined performances.
However, Ahlstrom and the Huskies responded with their own 13-point run to swing right back into the game, but they still trailed Laval 22-15 after one quarter.
In the second quarter, Ahlstrom’s brilliance was even more apparent. Despite star guard Gage Grassick failing to record a single point in the first half after her MVP-worthy quarterfinal showing, her team managed to hold a 32-30 lead into halftime.
Laval continued to impress with pin-point precision in their offence. Their 50 per cent three-point shooting contributed 24 of their 30 points.
The Huskies defence tightened up on Laval’s players in the third quarter, giving rise to a 49-39 lead late in the frame. Grassick finally arrived, sinking a confident three to go with her seven third-quarter points.
The ball moved quickly and fluidly for Saskatchewan, but Laval’s balanced attack finished the quarter fighting, bringing the score to 51-47 with 10 minutes left to play.
Both teams had led the game for just over 14 minutes each and were deadlocked in all statistical categories.
With 20 points already under her belt, Ahlstrom pumped in seven more fourth-quarter points to ensure her team’s victory, highlighted by a deep three in the final minutes.
Laval was unable to get inside the paint against a superb defence, resulting in an end-of-game 34.5 per cent 2 point percentage compared to the Huskies’ 47.1 per cent.
Laval’s Florence Fort sunk a three with just under a minute remaining to close the gap to five points, but an ensuring air ball and Grassick free throw ended the Rouge et Or’s bid for an undefeated championship season.
Impressively, the Huskies won without playing five of their bench players, which is a scary reminder for their next opponent, the Carleton Ravens.
The championship game tips off at 9:30 p.m. EST.
Featured image by Owen Spillios-Hunter/The Charlatan.
