CALGARY - Travelling south for a weekend series in Lethbridge this weekend, the Calgary Dinos basketball squads will be looking to create both separation within the Central Division as well as momentum moving forward with four B.C. opponents soon on the horizon.
The Dinos women, who are ranked No. 8 in the country, have had a solid season aside from their struggles within their division, where they are 2-6 on the year. A positive stemming from that record is that both victories within the division have come against the Lethbridge Pronghorns, who at 2-12 on the year, are in an unfavourable position to make a push for a playoff spot.
Against the Saskatchewan Huskies this past weekend, the Dinos suffered a heart-breaking 66-65 loss, where a late foul by senior guard Courtney Coyle in the waning moments of the game gave the Huskies two free throws with two seconds left on the clock, which they converted. That loss, combined with a ten point loss on Saturday were particularly disappointing, and ones they will be looking to forget about with two wins against the 'Horns
Ashley Hill leads the team in scoring average, three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage, and has been the main cog on the offensive side of the ball for the Dinos. Both Coyle and Whitney Haswell help balance out the offensive load for the third ranked offensive team in Canada West with double digit daily efforts each. The Dinos have been unafraid to use their depth on the year, as ten of 11 players have recorded ten or more minutes per game.
The Dinos women have had their struggles not so much on offence, but on defence, where they are ranked in the bottom half of the conference. For the Dinos to improve their 6-8 record on the year, this is an area which will need a strong commitment for improvement, with teams such as Victoria, Simon Fraser and UBC coming up on the schedule.
Amidst their season-long struggles, the Lethbridge Pronghorns had a break-out game this past Saturday, where they managed to beat the No. 3 ranked Alberta Pandas in Edmonton by a score of 65-60 in overtime. Lauren Taal led the 'Horns with 21 points while Kenzie Sheen posted a double-double with 17 points and ten rebounds. But perhaps more importantly was the ability of the 'Horns to shut down the all-around Panda offensive attack, something they hope to do against the Dinos this weekend as well.
Taal leads Lethbridge in points as well as minutes played, and is the de-facto primary weapon for the Horns. Sheen as well as Hannah Blanchette has been strong in their supporting roles, with a team-leading 6.7 rebounds per game and 6.1 rpg respectively.
The Dinos men's team is coming off of their fourth straight conference game without star senior forward, Henry Bekkering, during which time they have gone 3-1 against divisional opponents Alberta and Saskatchewan. With their southern rivals on deck to finish a ten-game intra-division sechdeule, and with the expected return of Bekkering this weekend, the Dinos are in excellent shape at 12-2 on the year.
Leading the Dinos in Bekkering's absence has been his younger brother. Ross Bekkering, who is second in Canada West in rebounding, averaging 10.7 per game, has been very solid without Henry. Having averaged a double-double with 16.6 points and 12.2 rebounds per game over the past five games, the fourth year forward has caused fits for the opposition, something he will be looking to continue against a largely undersized Lethbridge team.
The ninth leading scorer in Canada West with 17.2 points per game, Robbie Sihota, has struggled to start the winter semester, averaging 13 points per game – down from his blistering pace of 18.9 ppg in the first half. Expect Sihota to return to elite form with the return of Henry Bekkering to the lineup.
With four solid Pacific division match-ups, followed by one more series with the Alberta Bears in Edmonton around the corner for the Dinos, they will be needing Sihota and Henry Bekkering to return to late-November form sooner rather than later. The Dinos' guard play has been inconsistent all season – with each guard in their lineup only showing momentary flashes of brilliance, one or two will be needed to step up significantly for the drive to the finish line.
The Lethbridge Pronghorns, who have been a Central Division afterthought for the past few years, are still sticking around in the playoff race, sporting a 4-10 record just four points behind the Huskies.
The 'Horns are still led by their all-around threat, Danhue Lawrence, who has posted solid numbers of 19.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. Lawrence, a third year guard for Lethbridge, has caused problems for defenses this season, ultimately opening up opportunities for secondary players such as Rob Cooper who is averaging 14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds, and Allen Kadima, who has played more than 38 minutes a game for the 'Horns.
Both the women and men will play both games in Lethbridge this weekend, with games on Friday and Saturday evenings at the 1st Choice Savings Centre.
The Dinos return home next weekend to face the Simon Fraser Clan and Trinity Western Spartans Jan. 23-24.
-UC-
