Elite eight: Examining the teams in the U Sports women’s basketball tourney

OTTAWA — Here’s a look at the four quarterfinal matchups at the U Sports women’s basketball championship on Thursday:

No. 1 SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (21-2) vs. No. 8 CARLETON RAVENS (16-8)

Huskies coached by Canadian national women’s team coach Lisa Thomaidis, who guided team to runner-up finish at U Sports championship last year in Toronto … Six-foot-two Huskies forward Summer Masikewich averaged nearly a double-double (17.4 points, 9.1 rebounds) … Carleton, the host team, suffered five of its seven regular-season losses in 2020 and was eliminated by city rival Ottawa in OUA playoffs.

No. 2 BROCK BADGERS (20-5) vs. No. 7 CALGARY DINOS (19-3)

Brock, from St. Catharines, Ont., looking for its first national title … Fifth-year Badgers guard Melissa Tatti was named OUA player of the year, averaging 18.5 points and 6.6 assists … Calgary got the tournament’s lone at-large bid after losing in Canada West semis … Dinos’ only losses were to fellow U Sports championship teams Saskatchewan and Alberta.

No. 3 RYERSON RAMS (20-5) vs. No. 6 UPEI PANTHERS (19-3)

Rams hosted U Sports championship last year before finishing runner-up in OUA this year … Rams head coach Carly Clarke was PEI’s bench boss for three years before taking Ryerson job in 2012 … Panthers captured first Atlantic conference title in 22 years this season … Panthers’ Jenna Mae Ellsworth has been an Atlantic all-star four years in a row.  

No. 4 LAVAL ROUGE ET OR (14-4) vs. No. 5 ALBERTA PANDAS (18-5)

Laval has captured two Quebec titles in a row following seven-year drought … Laval star Khaleann Caron-Goudreau transferred from Texas of the NCAA … Pandas in Final 8 for first time since three-year run ended in 2016 … Alberta upset host Calgary in Canada West semis to earn national berth.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2020.

The Canadian Press