BRANDON, Man. – Despite not playing a league game in nearly two years, the Saskatchewan Huskies picked up where they left off, running to a 104-54 victory over the Brandon Bobcats to open the Canada West conference season.
 
The Huskies shot the ball well all night and forced 39 points from turnovers en route to the team's first win since bringing home the national championship in March of 2020.
 
Five Huskies finished in double figures, lead by Carly Ahlstrom's game-high 31 points.
 
"It felt incredible. It's been a long pre-season and we've been antsy to get out there for a year and a half now so it just felt really good to get the first game of the season under our belt," said Ahlstrom of the team's performance.
 
"We showed our intensity…. and we played together well as a unit so it feels like it can only go up from here."
 
Returning Canada West all-star and all-Canadian Summer Maskewich registered a double-double, finishing with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
 
The Bobcats were able to hold the deficit to 10 points after the first quarter and started the second with a three-point play from fifth-year Adrianna Proulx, but the Huskies took complete control in the third, outscoring the 'Cats by 25 in the frame.
 
Brandon was led by Piper Ingalls in her Canada West debut, as the Moose Jaw, Sask. product came off the bench and put up 18 points.
 
The two teams square off again at the Brandon University Healthy Living Centre in the second half of the weekend series on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 pm and can be seen on www.canadawest.tv presented by Co-op.