CALGARY – Four games over three days with promotions aplenty are on tap on a busy weekend in the Jack Simpson Gym as the Dinos basketball teams play their final home games before the December exam break.

Up first are the only Crowchild Classic meetings between the Dinos and the Mount Royal Cougars on the hardwood this season, with the men going Thursday night followed by the women Friday. Both games tip off at 7 p.m. Saturday night, the other new team in Canada West, the UNBC Timberwolves, pay their first-ever visit to the Jack with women's action at 5 p.m. followed by the men at 7. All games will be streamed live on CanadaWest.tv.

There's plenty of action off the court this weekend. It's Minor Basketball Weekend, and all minor teams wearing their jerseys or other team clothing will receive free admission to the Dinos-Cougars games on both Thursday and Friday nights. Thursday is Kinesiology night, with all staff and faculty from Kinesiology receiving free admission.

The women's game Friday night is another busy one. In addition to a celebration of women in sport, it's the Dinos' annual Shoot for the Cure night, part of a national effort by CIS women's basketball programs to raise money and awareness for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. And finally, Saturday night is the Waste Free Game, in partnership with the University of Calgary's Office of Sustainability.

And in between all that, there's some important basketball to be played. Thursday and Friday mark the first-ever regular season contests between the Dinos and Mount Royal Cougars, part of a busy weekend in the Crowchild Classic series with six games over two days being played between the new crosstown rivals. Because of the Canada West league structure, the Dinos and Cougars are in opposite divisions – so this will be the only time this season that the two schools will meet in basketball action.

The Dinos men are 2-4, but could just as easily be 4-2 on the year as they struggle with consistency. After putting up a couple of quality wins against Manitoba and Alberta in the first two weeks of the season, the Dinos were swept at the hands of the Saskatchewan Huskies last week on the road – and they're up against more quality opponents on the road next weekend when they face UBC and Victoria in B.C.

But before facing those Pacific Division opponents, the Dinos will have to deal with the Cougars and Timberwolves Mount Royal comes in with a 2-4 record, while UNBC has enjoyed an impressive debut in Canada West with a 4-2 mark through its first six games.

The Cougars opened with a sweep at the hands of the Fraser Valley Cascades before splitting their last two weekends with UBC Okanagan and Thompson Rivers. It's their first foray outside the Pacific Division for Mount Royal, and they'll certainly be ready to go against their new crosstown rivals.

Awet Abraha and Nick Loewen have carried the offence for MRU with 15.7 and 15 points per game, respectively.

UNBC, meanwhile, has fared slightly better against a similar schedule. After splitting their first two series against Thompson Rivers and Trinity Western – including a 103-100 OT loss to the Spartans – the Timberwolves were efficient with 85-70 and 81-74 wins at home against UBC Okanagan. This weekend, however, they make their first foray ever outside British Columbia for regular season competition as they take on Lethbridge Friday and the Dinos Saturday. UNBC's men's side features two of the top 15 scorers in the conference, Sam Raphael (18.2) and Francis Rowe (17.5). They're averaging almost 85 points per game – third-best in Canada West.

The Dinos counter with Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson, who is averaging just under 20 points per game, while Thijin Moses will look to regain the form that saw him score 28 and 24 against Alberta back on Nov. 8-9.

In women's action, the Dinos received their first national ranking of the season, landing at No. 8 in this week's Top 10 after an impressive 6-0 start to the season, including sweeps of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Last week's sweep in Saskatoon was impressive not only for the tight finishes – 73-71 and 68-66 Calgary wins – but also for the historic difficulties the Dinos have had in that gym. It marked the first time the Dinos have won in Saskatoon since February 2008, and the first time Calgary has swept a two-game series with the Huskies in Saskatoon since Nov. 19-20, 1999.

Fifth-year forward Jessica Franz has been Calgary's offensive leader, scoring the game-winning trey last Friday against Saskatchewan as part of her 16.8 points-per-game average. Tamara Jarrett (13.3) and Kristie Sheils (13.2) are also averaging double figures, while Franz is the leading rebounder at 7.5.

The Dinos face the 1-5 MRU Cougars Friday before a Saturday date with the 3-3 UNBC Timberwolves. Mount Royal comes into the weekend struggling offensively, averaging less than 55 points per game while giving up more than 70, and their lone win game Nov. 9 on the road at UBC Okanagan – a 54-53 squeaker. Hilary Annich is the only Cougar in double digits, averaging 11 points per game, while Emily Larson follows with 8.8 per outing.

UNBC, meanwhile, was swept by Thompson Rivers, swept Trinity Western, and split with UBC Okanagan last weekend. Fourth-year Mercedes VanKoughnett is the Timberwolves' offensive leader, accounting for nearly a quarter of their scoring with an average of 16 points per game.

Conference competition resumes in the Jack Jan. 18-19, 2013 when the Fraser Valley Cascades and Trinity Western Spartans visit.

-UC-