SMU's season over after losing to Pandas in consolation semifinal

On Friday evening at War Memorial Gym, the eighth-seeded University of Alberta Pandas women’s basketball team upset the fourth-seeded Saint Mary’s University Huskies 68–61 in an explosive battle.

Alberta will move on to the national consolation final while SMU’s season has come to a end.

The Pandas got on the board within the first few seconds, starting a first quarter full of back-and-forth offence. By the five-minute mark, the score was 13–12 for Alberta and the lead had changed five times. Quick play continued, with neither team getting ahead by more than two points. Alberta’s Jayden Tanner made a pump-fake three-pointer to retake the lead at 22–20, and in the last seconds, McKinley Penninga made a floater shot off an inbound to increase their lead to 27–22.

The second quarter was much quieter than the first — both teams did better on defence. There were offensive chances on both ends of the court, but SMU couldn’t seem to connect or convert. Coupled with turnovers, Alberta earned an 8–2 run. The Huskies made a push late in the quarter, hitting two three-pointers and a free throw, but still went into the half down 35–33.

After half, both teams were invigorated, being quick out the gate offensively with seven points in the first minute. Points — and the lead — were traded back and forth but it was the Pandas who ended the quarter with a tight 55–54 lead, after Tanner went beyond the arc with a shot clock buzzer-beater.

Like in the second, the momentum shifted toward defence, with the first points coming from fifth-year Husky Clara Gascoigne under the basket with seven minutes left. It went back and forth again before an Alberta and-one play put them ahead, 60–57. Gascoigne led the SMU offence, but it wasn’t enough to overpower the Pandas. When the final buzzer rang, it was 68–61 in favour of Alberta.

Both teams preferred to shoot from behind the arc, with 60 combined chances overall, but the Pandas had better luck.

“They're a very talented team. They can shoot the ball really well,” said Gascoigne. “It was definitely a hard fought battle. It was kind of going back and forth, and they just got it done today.”

The Pandas will move on to face Université Laval for fifth place tomorrow at 3 p.m. in War Memorial Gym. The Huskies’ season, like many other teams, is unfortunately over.

“Although we lost today, I would say we still had fun as a group, and I have no regrets,” said Gascoigne. “I'm just really proud of our team.”

This article is part of our 2025 Final 8 coverage. Follow us at @UbysseySports on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, as well as @theubyssey on TikTok, to follow our U Sports basketball coverage starting March 12.

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