EDMONTON - The No.6 University of Alberta Pandas basketball team got back into the win column Friday night against the Brandon Bobcats, by a score of 83-47 at the Saville Community Sports Centre. The Pandas win moves them to 12-4 on the season and keeps them in a crowded playoff race atop the Pioneer division.

The Pandas were led offensively by senior forward Saskia Van Ginhoven, who had 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field, along with five rebounds. Fourth-year guard Megan Wickstrom and senior forward Kendra Asleson added 11 points each off the bench, while fourth-year guard Jessilyn Fairbanks added a team-high five assists. Alberta won this game on the glass, where they outrebounded Brandon 48-25, Asleson recording a team-high eight rebounds.

The Bobcats were led offensively by second-year forward Amy Williams, netting 11 points. Aleah Bridges had five assists to lead the team and Kinsley Ransom chipped in a team-high seven rebounds. The Bobcats were without their leading scorer, Alyssa Montgomery, who did not make the trip.

The Pandas found themselves down 11-10 early but then took the opening quarter over, going on a 13-2 run led by six points from Van Ginhoven to lead 23-13 after one.

Saskia scored the first four points of the second quarter as well and Alberta led 27-18 before going on another big run, this time with an 18-2 result, to close out the quarter, keeping the Bobcats scoreless for a stretch of 5:39 and taking a 43-20 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, Alberta kept the pressure on, as Asleson and Van Ginhoven combined for nine points in the quarter and the Pandas doubled up the Bobcats 18-9 to lead after three, 61-29.

Ransom and Williams combined for ten points in the fourth for Brandon while Alberta`s Megan Vande Kraats added six points in the quarter, but Alberta pulled away for the 83-47 victory.

The Pandas and Bobcats will complete their two-game set at the SCSC Saturday night at 5 p.m. MT.