VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds women's basketball team dropped their second-straight contest to the Regina Cougars on Saturday night at War Memorial Gym, falling 69-61.

"I thought it was a little bit of a flat contest at times," said UBC coach Deb Huband. "But other than that a tough battle against the No. 3-ranked team in the country."

Regina guard Sydney Dobner led all players in scoring and rebounding, notching 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting and racking up eight boards. As for the hosts, forward Kara Spotton (Fort Collins, Colo.) paced the T-Birds with 18 points, while fifth-year guard Diana Lee (North Vancouver) added fourteen to go with four assists.

High-pressure defending was the theme of the first quarter, as the 'Birds held Regina to a remarkable 1-of-18 shooting performance in the opening 15 minutes. The 'Birds also prevented a few shots from ever getting to the rim, blocking four in the first quarter.

From the 'Birds, it was Adrienne Parkin (Vancouver) that showed the most impressive touch in the attacking half of the court in the early going, as the fifth-year veteran finished the opening frame with five points. Overall, the T-Birds closed out the first frame with a 13-4 advantage.

The pace picked up considerably the second quarter, as the 'Birds stretched their lead to 19-8 within the period's first two minutes.

That seemed to wake up the Cougars, as Regina roared back with a furious 19-4 run over the final eight minutes of the half, pulling ahead 27-23 at the buzzer. Dobner and her backcourt mate Kehlsie Crone led the Cougars with five points apiece in the quarter, as the Cougars shot an impressive 10-for-14 from the field, including 3-of-4 from distance.

Dobner kept up her hot hand in the third frame, putting up 10 points and keeping the 'Birds at bay. Without a real answer for Dobner, or a relentless Regina attack, the 'Birds fell further behind heading into the fourth quarter, down 47-34.

"I think both teams really battled hard last night and there was a bit of fatigue," Huband responded when asked who's play she felt stood out in the contest. "I don't think either team really overcame it completely."

The final frame was a back-and-forth battle, one in which Regina wasn't able to pull away further, but neither was UBC able to really mount a comeback. In the fourth, a eight-point margin was as close as UBC got to the Cougars, as Regina picked up their 11th win of the season by that 69-61 final.

The Cougars will host the Manitoba Bisons next weekend, while the Thunderbirds will travel to Victoria for a doubleheader against their provincial rivals.