Tanner Michalenko, Saskatchewan Sports Information Student Assistant
SASKATOON – Sarah Buckingham splashed a three-point basket with 14 seconds left to lift the Trinity Western University Spartans over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies 67-60 in Game 2 of a Canada West semifinal Saturday night on Ron & Jane Graham Court at the PAC.
Buckingham was one of five Spartans who finished with double-digit points, as they avoided elimination forcing a deciding Game 3 in the best-of-three series.
Down five at the halftime break, the Spartans rallied to score 23 points in the third – their most of any quarter – while limiting Saskatchewan to just nine points, their lowest scoring quarter of the game. It was a 19-5 run in the quarter that flipped a five-point Huskie lead into an eight-point Spartan lead.
In the fourth, Saskatchewan put together a timely 11-0 run to tie the game with 3:07 remaining. First Team All-Star Sabine Dukate started the run by hitting two free throws, and minutes later she tied the game at 58 with a three-point basket. Kayla Gordon and Summer Masikewich traded baskets, before Buckingham buried the dagger to go up three with 14 seconds remaining.
After a timeout, the Huskies ran a scoring play for leading scorer Dukate, but her three-point attempt rimmed out. Trinity Western secured the rebound and finished the game on the free-throw line for the seven point win.
Kianna Wiens finished with game-high 18 points off the bench for Trinity Western. Wiens went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc in the first half to keep her team within striking distance. Gordon double-doubled with 17 points and 13 rebounds. She added three steals and a block.
For Saskatchewan, Dukate had a team-high 14 points, while Brianna Fehr came off the bench for 10 points – eight in the first half.
The Spartans shot 24-of-67, while the Huskies finished 23-of-64. Saskatchewan out rebounded Trinity Western 39-33.
Tipoff for Game 3 is 7 p.m. Saturday night.