Crowchild basketball battle ends in a weekend sweep for women’s basketball
By Leigh Patrick, March 25 2026—
The Dinos claimed a 73-41 win Friday, Feb. 6, followed by a decisive 71-41 victory, clinching a weekend win and fifth place in the Canada West standings.
A record-breaking senior weekend saw fifth-year Amélie Collin break the Canada West record for career steals. The previous record was 308 steals, and Collin finished the weekend with 322.
“It’s a great feeling; I didn’t know I could get there, but it’s been incredible. The whole journey for five years has been great,” reflected Collin.
Recording 11 steals in Friday’s game, four of those coming within the opening five minutes, Collin said she felt her teammates were “pushing me towards [the record] and helping me go and do my thing.”
Friday’s game opened with second-year Christine Geraldo scoring a basket within 12 seconds of the first buzzer. Collin hit a jumper, followed by Geraldo’s three-pointer, and the Dinos cemented an early lead against the Cougars. Fifth-year Pollyanna Storie added points to the board with a layup.
The Cougars fought their way down the court and sent the ball to the basket, but missed key opportunities. The Dinos stayed on top of their opponents, forcing turnover after turnover.
“When we can apply pressure and create turnovers, that’s where we’re at our best,” said coach Sarah Besselink.
Finding themselves on the board at last with a three-pointer, the Cougars followed it up quickly with another. Both teams showed their skills in the last three minutes of the quarter, with the Cougars bringing the point total to 9 and the Dinos totalling 19.
Collin found herself in the right place for a layup as fourth-year Milica Gajic fought for possession of the ball. As Gajic fell to the ground, she tossed the ball to Collin, who caught it and converted. Shortly after, Collin broke the record, prompting a cheer from the stands.
“We’ve all been connecting on a deeper level. We have a lot of chemistry together, and I think that shows a lot on the court,” reflected Collin.
The Dinos continued to force turnovers, keeping the lead through the third quarter. Fourth-year Lilia Skumatova opened the quarter with a layup, then stole the ball and added another layup. Remaining on the defensive, the Dinos allowed only 7 points in the final quarter while scoring 23.
“We want to make it as far as we can, and we’ve had a solid group all year long. We’re going to keep pushing together as a team,” said Collin.
This attitude was shared by the whole team, as reflected in their performance the following night. The final regular-season game was also a tribute to veterans Collin, Storie, and Sydney Milum on Senior Night, as the Dinos aimed to end the home schedule with a defensive showcase before the play-ins next weekend.
The Dinos started Saturday’s game with the same vigour. The team got on the board early on, remaining in the lead. Though the Cougars briefly tied the game, the Dinos responded with a surge to reclaim the lead they would not relinquish.
Collin continued on her record-breaking streak, as she collected nine steals to set a new Canada West single-season record of 98 steals, surpassing Lisa Koop’s previous mark of 94 that had stood since 1996.
By the time the final whistle blew on their victory, the seniors made their final mark. It was a dominant finish to the regular season, sending the veterans out with a weekend sweep and a clear message before the play-in next weekend. The Dinos will travel to Langley, B.C., for their Canada West play-in game to start the postseason.