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     Basketball Club

Saskatoon, Sask. - The University of Saskatchewan Huskies travelled to the west coast this weekend for a pair of games against Pacific Division schools. Friday night Saskatchewan faced an energetic Trinity Western Spartans squad in a high-paced game and came out on top 101-100. Saturday night at Simon Fraser Saskatchewan struggled offensively, as SFU defeated the visitors 75-66.

With the weekend results Saskatchewan (15-15, 10-6 Canada West) remains in second place, but falls to two games behind Central Division leader Alberta (20-8, 12-4). Saskatchewan remains four games up on third place Calgary (12-18, 6-10).

The Huskies will travel to Edmonton this coming weekend to face the Golden Bears in what will be a battle for first place. Gametime both Friday and Saturday night is 8:00 pm (MST) at the U of A Main Gym.

Friday: Saskatchewan 101 at Trinity Western 100

By Scott Stewart, TWU Sports Info

Langley, British Columbia - The Trinity Western University Spartans (11-13, 8-9) battled hard in the last six minutes of the game and almost completed a 16-point comeback for the victory, but the University of Saskatchewan Huskies (15-14, 10-5) held on for a 101-100 win. Brian Banman (4th year, Kelowna, BC) scored nine of his 26 in the last two minutes of the game, but it just wasn’t enough.

"I thought that we waited until we were down 13 with seven minutes to go to generate the energy. What disappointed me tonight was at the start of the second half, we didn’t have the energy that we needed for the full twenty," TWU Head Coach Stan Peters commented after the close loss. "We just relied on the last six minutes again, and that’s a bad habit and we have got to get out of that. If we are going to make any kind of run down the stretch here we need 12 guys, and we are not getting the energy and contribution that we need from the bench right now."

In fact, the Spartans scored 24 of their 59 second-half points in the final five minutes.

"We work at execution down the stretch every week," said Peters. "It’s just disappointing that we can’t generate that energy right now for the full 20 minutes of the second half, but our kids battle, and I never want to take away from that, and we are going to keep battling and fight through this."

The first half was a battle to gain control of the game, but neither team could maintain a lead of any significance. The Spartans went up by ten (31-21) at the 9:14 mark after a three by Michael Erickson (3rd, Aldergrove, BC). The Huskies went on a 12-2 run to tie the game at 33, then eventually took the lead 42-39 after three baskets from long range on consecutive possessions. The half finished out with the Huskies on top 47-41.

In the beginning of the second, the Spartans narrowed in on the Huskies and back-and-forth play continued until Sam Lamontagne (Regina, SK) provided a spark for the visiting team, hitting two threes to inspire a 17-6 Huskie run.

The Spartans began to battle their way back from an 85-69 deficit with eight and a half minutes left. With just over five minutes to go in the game, the it was TWU still down nine, but they were battling, driving, kicking, and rebounding in the offensive end. A steal by the Huskies led to a breakaway lay-up by Rejean Chabot (Saskatoon, SK) and it seemed as though they would pull away again.

The game continued to go back and forth, as it had all game long. Two missed lay-ups by Saskatchewan gave the Spartans a chance to get within six, but another costly turnover left Kyle Grant (Moose Jaw, SK) with another breakaway conversion for the Huskies and the scoreboard read 90-82.

Jon Schmidt (4th, Rosedale, BC) hit two from the stripe followed by a Huskie turnover that led to a driving lay-up by Schmidt cut the lead to 90-86. Forward Andrew Spadgrud (Saskatoon, SK) made a shot in the key with 1:52 remaining, but Brian Banman answered with a quick three to make the score 92-89.

Grant went two-for-two from the line, and stole the ball on the ensuing possession, leading to another lay-up in the open court for Chabot.

Luke Robinson (4th, Ahousat, BC) finished a three-point play to bring the score to 97-94 Huskies with 35 seconds remaining, and Kyle Grant answered on the very next play with a made basket plus the foul, making it a six-point game.

Banman converted on a quick-stepped-runner from outside the arc with 13 seconds on the clock to make the score 100-97. A quick foul sent Saskatchewan’s fourth year guard Jordan Harbidge (Saskatoon, SK) to the free-throw line, and he hit one of two.

Down by four, Banman took a quick three for the Spartans and missed, but the rebound came back out and the ball was back in Banman’s hands. This time, he converted on a three, but Saskatchewan was careful not to foul, and as the ball went through the mesh at the buzzer, it was the Huskies by one.

Chabot led the Huskies with 26 points, seven assists, and four steals. Spagrud recorded 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Grant contributed 20 points to go with five assists.

For the Spartans, it was Banman with 26 points and five rebounds, while Joe Vroom (2nd, Abbotsford, BC) chipped in with 16 points and four rebounds. Michael Erickson and Luke Robinson each had 13 for the Spartans.

Game Notes: Three-pointers TWU (7-26) SASK (11-20)... FT% TWU (94.4) SASK (77.8)... TO’s TWU (21) SASK (29)... O-Rebounds TWU (16) SASK (7)... FG% TWU (51.4) SASK (55.6)... FTA TWU (17-18) SASK (28-36)...

Saturday: Saskatchewan 66 at Simon Fraser 75

By Scott McLean, SFU Sports Info

Burnaby, British Columbia - As he has been known to do throughout his career, fifth-year forward Aaron Christensen (Pitt Meadows, BC) took the Simon Fraser University Clan men’s basketball team on his back Saturday night, scoring 28 points and leading the Clan to a 75-66 win over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. With the victory the Clan pull back to .500 in conference place on the season (16-12, 9-9), while the Huskies (15-15, 10-6) fall to two games behind Alberta in the Central Division.

SFU opened the game on a 9-3 run, a run that included five Saskatchewan turnovers. After a timeout, the Huskies rallied, as Kyle Grant connected on back-to-back three-pointers to knot the game at 9-9. The teams traded leads over the next five minutes, however a 7-0 run by the Clan, sparked by two Christensen lay-ups, brought SFU’s lead to 29-22 with just under six minutes to go in the half.

Nearing the end of the first break the Huskies Andrew Spagrud, who leads the nation in scoring, averaging over 24 points per game, forced a steal and then scored three points on a 7-2 run by Saskatchewan, to bring the Huskies within two points (31-29) at the half.

In the second, the Clan and the Huskies traded leads, however an 8-to-1 run by SFU with just over ten minutes remaining put SFU out in front 54-48. SFU, in foul trouble most of the second half, relied on their own ability to get to the charity stripe to extend their lead, connecting on 24-of-30 attempts on the evening, and held on to win 75-66.

Christensen led the Clan with 28 points, shooting 12-for-20 from the floor, while Greg Wallis (Victoria, BC) added 15 points, including shooting 9-for-10 from the free throw line. Sean Burke (North Vancouver, BC) added 14 points for the Clan, while Kevin Shaw (North Vancouver, BC) chimed in with 12. SFU out rebounded the Huskies 35-to-30, and forced 17 Saskatchewan turnovers.

Spagrud and Grant each finished with 18 points for the visitors. Grant hit his first three three-pointers in the first half, however fell cold in the second, going 0-for-4, as the Huskies struggled from outside the arc, shooting 2-for-8 down the stretch from outside. Rejean Chabot added ten points for the Dogs.