CALGARY – As a curtain-call performance from last week's Crowchild Classic, the Calgary Dinos take on the Mount Royal Cougars in this year's Pack the Jack. The battle shifts from the ice to the hardcourt, in what will be two of the biggest games of the season for the Cougars.
DETAILS
Date: Thursday Feb. 1 and Friday Feb. 2
Time: 8 p.m. MT Thursday and 8 p.m. MT Friday
Venue: Jack Simpson Gymnasium Thursday; Kenyon Court Friday
HEADLINES
- The No. 6 Calgary Dinos have already secured a top four seed in Canada West, giving them a bye week for the first round of playoffs, which commence next week.
- With two wins this weekend, the Dinos will clinch the second seed in the playoffs, giving them the opportunity to play two weekends at home – including the all-important semifinal, which will determine which team advances to the U SPORTS Final 8 in Halifax.
- The top 12 teams in the league qualify for CW playoffs. Mount Royal's 8-10 mark puts them in a three-way tie for 11th – so in many ways, their playoff lives could depend on results this weekend.
No. 6 CALGARY DINOS (14-4)
- Coming off a split against the Pronghorns, Calgary will look to ride its balanced attack once again as they prepare for their playoff run. Early in their Saturday victory, Head Coach Dan Vanhooren inerted bench players into the game to keep his starters fresh and his second and third units in rhythm.
- Mambi Diawara is one of two players in CW to average more than 20 points per game in under 30 minutes. He continues to be a reliable option for the Dinos whenever they need a bucket, however his ball distribution has become a critical factor in their success. Diawara has averaged 4.0 assists per game in their past seven victories, compared to 1.2 assists per game in their losses during that stretch.
- Calgary has only dropped one game at home all season, and it was to No. 3 Alberta. The home-court advantage figures to be even greater this week, as this Thursday is Pack the Jack. Last year a raucous 1,881 people crowded into the Jack Simpson Gym to witness the Dinos defeat Fraser Valley 106-68.
MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS (8-10)
- The Cougars have the second-worst three-point shooting percentage in CW, however the long rebounds may contribute to their advantage on the offensive glass. MRU is fourth in offensive rebounds this season and will look to press its advantage when the Dinos go small.
- Forward Josh Ross has crowded the box score throughout the season, averaging 21.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. The fifth-year player was only off the court for three minutes in their past two games combined, and averages the fourth-most minutes per game in CW. He is the reigning CW first star of the week.
- LJ Hegwood will step onto the Dinos floor once again, this time wearing blue and white. This is his first year with the Cougars, after playing with the SAIT Trojans last year and with the Calgary Dinos before that.
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