Grassick leads Huskies past Thunderbirds in Women’s Final 8 quarterfinal
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
19 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 71 |
|
|
11 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 55 |
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | #5 Saskatchewan | #4 UBC |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (28-66) | (21-62) |
| Field Goal % | 42.4% | 33.9% |
| Rebounds | 40 | 37 |
| Assists | 6 | 11 |
| Turnovers | 13 | 19 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 15 | 13 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 15 | 12 |
| Pts in the Paint | 40 | 18 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 0 | 2 |
| Bench Pts | 7 | 13 |
Gage Grassick poured in a game-high 25 points as the Saskatchewan Huskies defeated the UBC Thunderbirds 71-55 in the third quarterfinal of the 2026 Sun Life U SPORTS Women’s Final 8, presented by Michelob and Hilton Québec, on Thursday night at the Amphithéâtre Desjardins.
With the win, the fifth-seeded Huskies advance to Saturday night’s national semifinal, while the fourth-seeded Thunderbirds drop into the consolation bracket and will play again Friday.
Grassick, named Saskatchewan’s player of the game, shot 9-for-17 from the field and added four rebounds and three steals in 34 minutes to lead the Huskies’ attack.
Saskatchewan set the tone early, jumping out to a first-quarter lead and maintaining control for most of the night. The Huskies led 19-11 after the opening frame and carried a 34-26 advantage into halftime.
The Canada West rivals traded baskets through the third quarter, but Saskatchewan continued to dictate the pace and entered the final period ahead 51-40.
Ella Murphy Wiebe provided key support with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Andrea Dodig added 11 points and nine boards as the Huskies controlled the glass and the paint for much of the contest.
UBC was led by player of the game Sara Toneguzzi, who scored a team-high 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including five three-pointers. She also contributed four rebounds and three assists while logging a game-high 36 minutes.
Despite Toneguzzi’s offensive output, the Thunderbirds struggled to generate consistent scoring and were unable to close the gap in the fourth quarter as Saskatchewan extended its lead to as many as 20 points late in the game.
Maya Flindall also chipped in 11 points for the Huskies, helping Saskatchewan maintain its cushion as the clock wound down.
Saskatchewan now turns its attention to Saturday’s national semifinal as it continues its pursuit of the program’s second straight Bronze Baby, while UBC will look to rebound in Friday’s consolation round.
NIKE TEAM PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
- Saskatchewan: Gage Grassick
- UBC: Sara Toneguzzi