The Women’s basketball team secured its first win of the season and swept its doubleheader weekend in Edmonton against the MacEwan Griffins.
In their first game last Friday night, the WolfPack took a quick lead with help from Hailey Merrigan, who scored two three-pointers to bring them their six points on the board first. The ‘Pack continued to hold strong defence in the first quarter, forcing the Griffins into making eight turnovers.
In the second, with help from a three-pointer by Morgan Eichenberger, the WolfPack stretched their lead over the Griffins to 13. However, the Griffins went on a nine-point run to close the gap in the score. MacEwan’s momentum was shorted lived, though. As the game neared the end of the first half, Allison Hasen knocked down a jump shot to stop the Griffins from closing the scoring even more.
Coming out of the break, the ‘Pack led the score 30-24. With the odds increasing in the Griffins favour, the home team continued to push the WolfPack’s defence, securing a 38-37 lead. The ‘Pack found their footing again, and with points from Oliva Randall, Olena Vasyenko and Maddy Hackman, were able to reclaim their lead to head into the fourth quarter.
With just minutes left in the game, the Griffins tried to battle their way to a win, but a 13-point run from Kylee Koppes and Vasylenko would be what the ‘Pack needed to secure a seven-point victory.
The win on Friday would not only mark the WolfPack’s first win of the season, but also match their win total from the entirety of last season. The game also marked a career high of 17 points for Koppes.
On Saturday night, the ‘Pack set out to face the Griffins again, hoping to secure a winning weekend and beat their previous season record.
With unified purpose, the women came out strong in the opening quarter, with Eichenberger going a perfect 5-for-5 on the floor for 11 points, earning the ‘Pack an early 19–9 lead just 10 minutes into the game. But MacEwan shifted the game in the second quarter, delivering an impressive performance that saw the Griffins overtake the WolfPack, setting the score 27-23.
After reconvening at half, the ‘Pack began to claw their way back up to the top. A pair of three-pointers from Vasylenko and points from Koppes helped the women take back the lead, setting the stage for the final quarter of the weekend.
Eichenberger took over again in the fourth, scoring eight points, including six during a pivotal 9–2 run that proved crucial for the team and the win. With a clutch three-pointer late in the game, Merrigan added the cherry on top, to cement the hard-fought victory for the ‘Pack.
Eichenberger’s 19 rebounds tied the program’s single-game record, matching the mark set by former U SPORTS All-Canadian Diane Schuetze. The victory also marked TRU’s first weekend sweep since 2023 and only their second since 2019. With the win, the WolfPack move to 2–3 on the season, sitting fifth in the Canada West Pacific Division. TRU controlled the glass throughout the night, finishing with 42 rebounds to MacEwan’s 27.
Associate head coach Joe Davis said he was proud of the team’s effort, noting that while the game wasn’t perfect, it showed the value of sticking to the game plan. He added that the team’s focus on rebounding paid off, as they continue to improve their attention to detail and execution on both ends of the floor.
“[Eichenberger] is live out there on the court and has worked on her game a lot. She never missed a training session over the summer and has improved a lot,” Davis said. “I’m happy for her that she had a productive day out there, she does a lot of things for us, and she’s only going to continue to grow.”
The ‘Pack will have their home opener at the TCC tomorrow as they face off against the TWU Spartans.