CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos men's basketball team extended their win streak to seven games with a 98-83 victory Friday night over the Thompson Rivers WolfPack from the Jack Simpson Gym.

Opening a six-game home stand, Calgary continued its torrid shooting to start 2024. Last week they matched their most points in a game since 2016, and for the second consecutive game they shot 59 percent from the field. Nate Petrone, Dylan Lutes & Noah Wharton combined for 36 first-half points, only four missed shots in that span.

"It's all based in the work I put in when no-one's really looking, and just having the confidence to rise up and shoot it and think it's going in," said third-year guard Nate Petrone postgame. 

Petrone is fourth in Canada West in scoring and followed up a 32-point night on 10 field-goal attempts last week with a game-high 27 points on 83 percent shooting (11-14) from the floor. 

"My teammates also have that trust in me, so I'm extremely grateful to have a group of guys that trust me to take those shots," added Petrone. "It's just a very supportive environment."

The WolfPack kept pace with the Dinos early, moving the ball and registering seven assists on eight made field goals in the opening 10 minutes. The moment their shooting cooled like the frigid Calgary temperatures, the Dinos pounced – blitzing TRU with a 21-5 run towards the end of the first half. 

Calgary's advantage at the rim continued in the third quarter, with the Dinos scoring more than half of their points in the painted area. After a TRU timeout midway through the third, the WolfPack countered with a 7-0 run to shrink the deficit to 70-63 heading into the final frame.

The scoring picked up in the waning minutes of the game, with both teams attacking the rim and the WolfPack refusing to go away. Calgary's lead never fell below six points however, and much like he has all season, Noah Wharton stepped up in closing time to push the game across the finish line for the Dinos. 

In the thick of the playoff race, the two teams will square off again Saturday night at 8 p.m. again from the Jack Simpson Gym.

-UC-