The Saskatchewan Roughriders played host to a playoff game for the first time since 2021.
And in front of 26, 135 fans at Mosaic Stadium, the visiting B.C. Lions were looking to play spoiler.
They would strike the first blow in the contest.
Vernon Adams Jr. would find Jevon Cottoy on a quick dump off over the middle, and he would do the rest, going 56 yards for the game’s first major.
The Riders first possession of the game showed promise but a deep endzone shot from Trevor Harris to Kian Schaffer-Baker was incomplete out of bounds and Saskatchewan would settle for three.
In the second quarter, another Saskatchewan drive would end in a field goal.
The offense would drive it all the way down to the B.C. 12 before Lauther would hit his second field goal of the contest to tie the game at six.
On the next Lions possession, Vernon Adams Jr. would throw an interception to his former teammate Marcus Sayles.
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Saskatchewan would then move the pigskin all the way down to the B.C. one-yard line and a third down gamble would result in a touchdown sneak by AJ Ouellette to put the Riders up by a touchdown.
In the final minute of the half, B.C. would have a response.
Adams Jr. would zip one into Justin McCinnis from 11 yards out, and it was a 13-13 tie through 30 minutes of play.
In the third quarter, a 30-yard AJ Ouellette touchdown restored the Riders seven point lead.
Sean Whyte would split the uprights from 36 yards out on the Lions next possession to make it 20 to 16 for the Green and White.
Whyte would then look to bring the Lions within a point with a 38 yard attempt but the ball would clang off the right upright.
B.C. would come close to taking the lead early in the fourth, but a pass attempt to Keon Hatcher would be broken up and another Sean Whyte field goal pulled the Lions within a point.
The Riders offense would then come back to life with a 70 yard drive culminating in a six yard touchdown pass from Harris to Sterns.
Saskatchewan opted to go for two and KeeSean Johnson would extend the lead to nine on a flat route.
A promising Lions drive would end with a turnover as Adams Jr. was intercepted by Nelson Lokombo near the Riders goal line with just four minutes to play in the game.
Fittingly it would be the Riders nominee for CFL Outstanding Defensive Player, Rolan Milligan Jr., that would put the game on ice with an interception on the Lions final drive.
The Riders would then kneel out the remainder of the clock and win the West Semifinal 28 to 19.
They will now head to Winnipeg next Saturday for the West Final with a berth in the 111th Grey Cup on the line.
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