SASKATOON – The 2015-16 season came to an end for the UBC Thunderbirds after a 75-68 loss to the Saskatchewan Huskies in Game 2 of their Canada West quarter-final series Saturday night at the PAC in Saskatoon.
 
The Huskies win on Saturday did not come as comfortably as their 77-56 victory in Game 1. UBC shot the ball at a 47.5 per cent clip on Saturday and held a five-point lead after the opening 10 minutes and hit halftime up by two at 35-33.
 
Saskatchewan looked to take the momentum back early in the third with a quick 6-0 spurt to take back the lead, but UBC battled right back. The teams traded points back and forth for the majority of the third period in a game that featured 16 lead changes.
 
Laura Dally's two free throws halfway through the quarter put Saskatchewan up 63-62. But on the next possession, Adrienne Parkin (Vancouver) nailed a jump shot – two of her team-best 17 points – to give UBC the lead.
 
Then T-Bird Andrea Strujic (Vancouver) blocked a Dalyce Emmerson jumper, allowing her team to get back on offence. Guard Diana Lee (North Vancouver) picked up the ball and eventually converted a jumper of her own to make it 66-63. Forward Kara Spotton (Fort Collins, Colo.) capped off the mini-run with a jump shot with just 3:33 left on the clock.
 
After Dally's jumper came off the rim, guard Desarae Hogberg fought for the loose rebound and converted down low to cut the deficit to just three. On the very next possession, Kelsey Truslrud intercepted a pass and took it the other way for a layup plus the foul, converting the and-1 to tie it up. Back-to-back baskets by Sabine Dukate and a pair of Hogberg free throws helped the Huskies close the game on a 12-0 run.
 
Dukate led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting. Trulsrud and Emmerson both recorded double-doubles for the second straight night. Trulsrud scored 15 points to go along with 12 rebounds, while Emmerson grabbed 11 boards to go along with her 15 points.
 
Parkin notched another double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Spotton scored another 17 points while hauling in eight rebounds for the T-Birds.
 
With the two losses this weekend, the UBC season concludes in the quarter-final round of the Canada West playoffs. Saturday's game marked the final university appearances for both Parkin – a five-year T-Bird – and Lee, who starred for two seasons at Point Grey after transferring from Boise State.
 
As the top-seeded team in the conference, Saskatchewan will host the Final Four next Friday and Saturday at the PAC.