Griffins hold their own against U SPORTS No. 4 Regina with solid defensive effort in 70-54 loss
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
17 | 22 | 20 | 11 | 70 |
|
|
12 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 54 |
Team Stats
Regina
| Game Statistics | Regina | MacEwan University |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (26-73) | (18-66) |
| Field Goal % | 35.6% | 27.3% |
| Rebounds | 53 | 44 |
| Assists | 15 | 10 |
| Turnovers | 20 | 21 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 16 | 14 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 12 | 9 |
| Pts in the Paint | 36 | 20 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 11 | 4 |
| Bench Pts | 19 | 15 |
Jason Hills
For MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON — On paper, it looked like a big mismatch for the MacEwan Griffins.
Facing nationally ranked opponents has been really hard on the Griffins this year — but they gave the No. 4-ranked Regina Cougars a hard-fought battle.
Outside of a couple of small stretches in the second and third quarter that allowed the Cougars some breathing room, the Griffins held their own in a 70-54 loss on Friday night at the David Atkinson Gym.
"I feel like we're playing our best basketball at the end of our season, which is what you want to be happening," said Griffins head coach Katherine Adams.
"We fought. I wouldn't say it was a pretty game. It wasn't beautiful basketball, but it was a gritty effort, and we played tough."
Unity Obasuyi led the Griffins with 22 points, seven rebounds and one steal, while Morgan Clark chipped in with seven points and three rebounds in a season high 19:37 of action.
Cara Misskey led the Cougars with 22 points, seven assists and five rebounds, while Jade Bellmore recorded a double-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two steals in the victory.
MacEwan was locked in defensively in the opening quarter, holding one of the top shooting teams in the conference to just 26.3% shooting.
They also struggled to score, but were within striking distance, trailing just 17-12 after the first 10 minutes.
Unity Obasuyi from the corner!
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Basketball Team (@Griffins_WBB) February 7, 2026
The @MacEwanGriffins leading scorer dropped eight points on @USPORTS_Bball No. 4 @ReginaCougars in the first quarter as the Griffins are right in the mix, trailing 17-12. Watch on @CanadaWest TV.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/I9Xdt27SIR
Early in the second quarter, Obasuyi scored on a tough layup, and then Allie Spenrath drained a trey to cut the lead to just 19-17.
But then Regina found another gear and were able to go on a 10-2 run to break it open, and the Griffins found themselves down 15 at the half (39-24).
"Anytime you come up against a top-ranked team, it's a test, and they have some incredibly talented players, and at times today they hurt us. We did what we could to limit them, but I'm proud of our effort and fight against a real veteran team," said Adams.
Regina started the second half on a 10-3 run to take full control of the game, but the Griffins didn't back down.
Allie Spenrath fires under pressure and hits from long range as the @MacEwanGriffins get within two of the @ReginaCougars in the second quarter.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/XWAFQ6fsbw
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Basketball Team (@Griffins_WBB) February 7, 2026
Clark hit a three-pointer to cut into the lead. Toni Gordon made a nice move to the rim to score on a layup and Samantha Hickey scored a nice bucket off a turnover, as part of her all-around effort that saw her post six points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, two assists and one steal.
In the second half, Regina only outscored MacEwan 31-30.
"The margin at halftime was 15, and you never want to get yourself in a hole like that, but you just have to chip away. Get a stop and a score, and try to close that margin," said Adams.
"We showed that we can compete in that last half of basketball."
Regina is a veteran team with five seniors, and they are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the conference.
The Griffins held Regina to just 25% (4-of-16) from beyond the arc and the Griffins' perimeter defence stood tall.
Morgan Clark completes the fast break play on a great pass by Allie Spenrath to keep the @MacEwanGriffins in it in the third quarter.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/PM7fGrCs09
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Basketball Team (@Griffins_WBB) February 7, 2026
"It was a goal of ours to force them into traffic into the key and force them into being passers and for them to shoot 4-for-16, I can't be upset about that, for sure," said Adams.
Where Regina controlled the game was in the paint, outscoring MacEwan 36-20, and they made it tough on MacEwan on that front on both ends of the floor, out rebounding the Griffins 53-44.
"They're physical, and they're so assertive of getting downhill and making things happen at the rim," said Adams.
"We got caught on a few rotations, and Jade and Cara are so dynamic, you have to send two at them to force them to try and do something different, and unfortunately they capitalized on some of that today."
It was a tough shooting night for the Griffins, who finished just 27.3% from the field. They were just 21.4% from three-point territory, and hit just 63.2% of their shots from the charity stripe.
"I thought we had some really good shots today, we just didn't capitalize," said Adams.
"In the first half, they had 35 shots, we had 34, we were right there with them, but they made their shots, and we didn't, especially in that second quarter."
MacEwan will wrap up their season tomorrow afternoon against Regina (3 p.m., David Atkinson Gym, Canada West TV). It's Senior Night, so graduate Sarah Burnell will be feted in a post-game ceremony.
