CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos men's basketball team (11-9) is off to the Canada West postseason this weekend, heading to Winnipeg for a play-in game against the Trinity Western Spartans (12-8) Friday at 6 p.m. MT.
 
The winner of that game will go up against the third-seeded Bisons (18-2) Saturday at 6 p.m. MT.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
 
1. HOW WE GOT HERE – Calgary dealt with a bevvy of injuries in the early going and went into the winter break at 4-6. Since then, the Dinos have found their rhythm and gone 7-3 in the second half of the season, including going into the postseason as winners in six of their last seven. Despite finishing with the eighth-best record in this year's Canada West standings, the Dinos head into the postseason as the No. 10 seed due to the RPI reseeding.
 
2. THE OTHER SIDE – Calgary and Trinity Western will be squaring off for the first time this season Friday. The Spartans went 12-8 in the regular season and are seeded seventh in this year's bracket. TWU finished the season going 1-3 down the stretch. Friday's contest will be a rematch of last year's postseason that saw Mason Bourcier erupt for 41 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists in a 102-92 win by the Spartans. Should the Dinos win Friday, a matchup against Manitoba would also be the first of the season this year for Calgary. The Bisons posted the top regular season record in Canada West this season at 18-2 but are seeded second in this year's bracket due to RPI. Manitoba boasts the top defence in the conference this season, allowing just 70.4 points per game.
 
3. PLAYOFF HISTORY – Calgary is in pursuit of its eighth conference championship. The Dinos have had quite the run of success in recent years, winning three conference titles since the 2015-16 season. Calgary has also qualified for the U SPORTS National Championship five times in the last six seasons, bringing home W.P. McGee Trophy in 2018.
 
4. FOREMAN LEADING THE WAY – Mason Foreman made his season debut after winter break and it's no coincidence the Dinos have had improved success since then. The fifth-year senior is averaging a whopping 20.7 points and 12.2 rebounds per game, starting all 10 games since his return. Those numbers would rank the East Selkirk, Man. product in the top five in the conference in both categories, but he is just short of the qualifying number of games played.
 
5. UP NEXT – Two wins this weekend would send the Dinos on to the semifinals, which will be a single elimination game at the higher seed, either Feb. 24 or 25. This year's Canada West Championship will take place on March 3 or 4 at the highest remaining seed, while nationals are hosted this year by StFX in Halifax, Nova Scotia March 9-12.
 
-UC-