Roll reaches 15 for Huskies

 Riley Humbert drives with the ball for the Huskies.

   It almost feels like an annual expectation.
    The calendar is going to turn to March and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's basketball team will once again be part of the monthly playoff madness.
    The Huskies punched their ticket to the Canada West Final Four for the seventh time in 10 years sweeping the U of Winnipeg Wesmen in a best-of-three quarter-final series 2-0 at the Physical Activity Complex. U of S claimed a 71-47 victory on Friday and a 73-57 triumph on Saturday thanks to a nice fourth-quarter surge.
    After starting the season at 4-3, the defending Canada West champs are currently riding a 15-game winning streak including action in the regular season and playoffs. During the run, they playing a well-rounded game, where everyone is finding ways to contribute to the success.
    While the Huskies have been a powerhouse team, there have been a lot of times in the past where they would tend to rely on fourth-year star post Dalyce Emmerson.
    Actually, the joke with anyone around the team was that when things go bad just pass the ball to Dalyce, and she will score. To her credit, Emmerson, who stands 6-foot-3, is one of those once in a generation talents, and it seemed like she would always score no matter what defence she faced. It almost seemed senseless not to get her the ball.
    She is huge at pulling down rebounds on either end of the court. With having someone as good as Emmerson on your side, you do develop a danger of relying on her too much, even if your team is loaded with other good players.

Dalyce Emmerson goes for two for the Huskies.

    At the start of the season, Emmerson was hampered by some nagging injuries, but she was still able to play. When she wasn't at 100 per cent, the other players on the Huskies stepped up to help carry the load.
    That continued to be evident during the sweep of the Wesmen. Emmerson, who is healthy, was a factor in those victories, but she wasn't the dominant force. The Huskies, who were 17-3 in the regular season, had their biggest contributions offensively come from their guards.
    In Friday's 71-47 victory, fourth-year guard Kelsey Trulsrud led the way with 21 points, and she also pulled down nine rebounds. Third-year guard Desarae Hogberg came off the bench to finish second in team scoring with 10 points.
    Emmerson was still part of the action leading the club with 16 rebounds, but she only had to attempt six shots from the floor thanks to the other contributions. She made four of those shots and finished with eight points.
    In Saturday's 73-57 win, fifth-year guard Riley Humbert fired down three-point shots like she was a secret character in the 1990s video game NBA Jam. She nailed a remarkable 8-of-11 shots from beyond the arc and led the Huskies with 24 points. Fourth-year guard Laura Dally and Trulsrud added 14 and 12 points respectively.
    Emmerson topped the Huskies with 13 rebounds, while chipping in five points and three assists.
    In the series clinching win, the Huskies pushed out to about a 10-point lead on a few occasions, but the Wesmen, who were 14-6 in the regular season, would force a tie score hitting a number of three-point shots of their own. The contest was tied 29-29 at halftime, and the Huskies held just a 52-48 edge after three quarters.
    When things got tough in past seasons, the ball would go inside to Emmerson to force a momentum change. On Saturday night, the Huskies guards responded with big shots to regain the upper hand.
    The host started the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run to go up 61-48 and cruised to the win from there.
    Entering the series, the Wesmen came in riding an eight-game winning streak of their own, so they were a formidable foe.

Kelsey Trulsrud controls play for the Huskies.

    The Huskies ball movement offensively and the success they had scoring outside and inside kept the visitors off balance. The players also benefit from the fact they are guided by head coach Lisa Thomaidis and assistants Jacqueline Lavallee, Alison Fairbrother and Jill Humbert, who together are one of the top three staffs if not the best staff in the women's game in Canada. 
    Going forward into the Canada West Final Four, the Huskies will be tough to beat. They could end up hosting the Canada West Final Four set for March 6-7, if the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds get upset by the U of Regina Cougars in a best-of-three quarter-final series this coming weekend. U of S got its series in early to lessen the scheduling stress due to hosting the Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's volleyball championship next weekend at the Physical Activity Complex.
    The Huskies will also soon start encountering single-elimination game type situations, which always makes playoff basketball compelling and unpredictable. With that said, all they have to do is win five more straight games to win the first ever CIS title in the history of the program.
    In all reality, the Huskies are now a short distance away from accomplishing the one goal that has eluded them. Achieving that goal would make for a sweet finish.
    NOTE -- Guard Kaylee Halvorson was sitting on the Huskies bench supporting the team in her street clothes on the weekend. Halvorson tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee just over a year ago.
    Her venture along the comeback trail has been plagued by a few setbacks. With that in mind, it was encouraging to see her with the team. Halvorson, who stands 5-foot-11, had been part of Canada's national team program, and her injury prevented anyone from seeing how good she could be.
    She still has three years of eligibility remaining to play with the Huskies.

    If you have any comments about this blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.  

Heart of the Huskies

Huskies point guard Kabree Howard.

            Kabree Howard might be one of the greatest assets the University of Saskatchewan Huskies athletic program has ever had.

            The fifth-year starting point guard for the Huskies women’s basketball team does not hold an abundance of school records, a big list of 30 or even 20-point games, but no has ever made wearing that green, white and black jersey look so good.

            She goes beyond having all the intangibles. The Regina product is seemingly at every community event the Huskies have. If she misses an event, you first think she is at home battling an illness.

            On her team, Howard is always the upbeat and positive influence. When the Huskies women’s basketball team isn’t in action but still in Saskatoon, the 22-year-old is often found cheering on every other Huskies athletics team. It seems she makes a point to get out and see as many of the squads that are part of the athletic program as possible, and two to three of her hoops teammates are usually in tow.

            Be it basketball court, classroom or any other location, the atmosphere automatically goes up and becomes more positive when Howard is there.

            When the Planet S Magazine had its best of Saskatoon poll, Howard, not surprisingly, was voted best Huskie.

            You can’t put a dollar figure on everything she brings to the program. Those involved with Huskies Athletics have to be feeling sad that her eligibility is nearing an end. The longest she can be with the Huskies is March 15 in the New Year, which assumes the team can qualify to play on the final day of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport women’s basketball championship tournament at Laval University.

Huskies point guard Kabree Howard drives past a defender.

            I first met Howard on visits back to Saskatoon in the summer of 2012, when I still lived in Medicine Hat. I would go for a workout at the gym at the University of Saskatchewan, and she usually worked the front desk.

            Early on, I was struck by how friendly Howard was. It also seemed she knew everybody that came for a workout, especially the members of the Huskies teams.

Judging by her physical conditioning, I assumed she was a member of one of the Huskies teams. My first guess was she competed in track and field, because she only stood 5-foot-5. As I wasn’t a resident of Saskatoon, I really didn’t know who she was.

            We got talking basketball one day, and to my surprise, I learned she was on the women’s basketball team.

            My first reaction, which looking back was a bad one, was, “You’re on the women’s basketball team! Really?”

            I happened to then walk in the main gym and a big action shot poster of her adorned one of the walls and is still there.

            My next reaction was, “Oh my God! She is their star!”

            I also discovered she grew up in Regina, and knew all about the 2000-01 University of Regina Cougars women’s basketball team that won CIS national championship that season. I worked closely with that team, and that championship wrapped up my time as a resident of the Saskatchewan capital.

            I know all of those players very well, and a few of them coached Howard at various stages of her basketball life. As time went on, it seemed to me Howard contained a combination off all the positive characteristics those Cougars players shared.

Huskies point guard Kabree Howard assists on a scoring play.

            On various other visits to Saskatoon and since I moved there in summer, I have run into various coaches and trainers that dealt with Howard. They all say she is a superstar and agree she was the athlete they all most enjoyed dealing with.

            I never asked her why she decided to join the Huskies. I know how good Huskies women’s basketball head coach Lisa Thomaidis is at her job, and I always assumed that was a big reason for the move. The fact the Huskies have Alison Fairbrother and Jacqueline Lavallee as two long time and outstanding assistant coaches with the program also helps with attracting players.

            The big thing for the Huskies is Howard did come to the Bridge City, and the University of Saskatchewan athletic program has benefited from it. Everyone with the Huskies should cherish the last moments she will be with the program as a player.

If you have any feedback on this blog, feel free to email comments to stankssports@gmail.com.