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     Basketball Club

Friday, January 9 - Saskatchewan 50 at Calgary 76

CALGARY - A solid opening half and a season-best defensive performance vaulted the fifth-ranked University of Calgary Dinos to a 76-50 decision over the Saskatchewan Huskies Friday night in the Jack Simpson Gym.

The Dinos jumped out to an 11-point lead after the opening quarter and did not look back, never trailing en route to their 11th victory of the season. The win keeps the Dinos four games in front of the Alberta Golden Bears, who squeaked past Lethbridge Friday night in Edmonton, while dropping the Huskies (6-7) back to third place in the Central Division standings.

"After last Saturday’s performance (a 78-62 loss to Alberta), our guys were determined to come out better, and we had way more energy tonight," said Dan Vanhooren, in his eighth season as head coach of the Dinos. "It’s a big win for us. We played well on defence, and our zone was working so well we didn’t have to play a lot of man-to-man."

The Dinos received contributions from the entire roster, with Robbie Sihota’s 31 being the highest minute total of any player. Freshmen Andy Rochon and Dominyc Coward had 18 and 23 minutes, respectively, scoring 17 points between them, and Vanhooren was pleased that several bench players were able to get the opportunity to play.

"It helps us for tomorrow and it helps us get those guys some experience so when we get into the playoffs and in foul trouble, we have guys with the experience to go out there and contribute," he said.

While the Dinos succeeded without star Henry Bekkering, who missed his third straight conference game with a neck injury, the Huskies’ star guard Showron Glover was held in check most of the night by the Calgary defence. Glover, who leads the conference in scoring, had 11 at the half and was held to just two late free throws in the second 20 minutes to finish with 13 on a frustrating night for the men in green. Saskatchewan made just 19 field goals on the night, shot less than 28 per cent, and committed 25 turnovers. Glover’s 13 was matched by Mac Fairbairn, while Troy Gottselig led all players with 11 rebounds.

"This was a different kind of game to be in, and I don’t think it’s fair to judge him based on tonight’s performance," Vanhooren said of Glover, who averaged 25 per night in the teams’ first two meetings of the season last November in Saskatoon. "I’m sure he’ll come out fired up tomorrow night."

Henry Bekkering is expected to return to the Calgary lineup in next weekend’s two-game trip to Lethbridge.

Calgary struck early to go up 8-1, and the Huskies did not hit a field goal until nearly halfway through the opening quarter. Sloppy play on both sides was the story in the middle two quarters, with the Dinos holding their visitors to just eight points in the second. As the Calgary lead grew, so did the playing time for much of the Dinos’ bench, and the entire roster finished with at least seven minutes of playing time.

Ross Bekkering scored 17 to lead the hosts on 5-of-8 shooting, including two treys. Sihota added 14 in a bounce-back game for him, while Tyler Fidler and Coward each had 13 on the night. Fidler led Calgary in rebounds with nine, with Bekkering close behind him at eight and Coward with seven.

The win gives Calgary the season series over the Huskies, having swept all three games played so far. Saskatchewan remains in town Saturday night to play their fourth and final game of the year against the Dinos, with tip-off slated for 8 p.m.

Saturday, January 10 - Saskatchewan 71 at Calgary 77

CALGARY - The Saskatchewan Huskies gave them all they could handle, but in the end a 27-point performance by sophomore guard Tyler Fidler was the difference as the fifth-ranked Calgary Dinos got past their divisional rivals 77-71 Saturday night in the Jack Simpson Gym.

After an easy 76-50 win Friday night, the Dinos were prepared for a much better Huskies team Saturday, and a much better Huskies team they saw. Saskatchewan refused to give up all evening, coming back from deficit after deficit on a night where the margin was rarely larger than six points.

"We expected that one to be tough," said Calgary coach Dan Vanhooren, who led his charges to their 12th victory of the season. "We knew that they would come out harder and play a little more physical, and quite frankly play better because they’re a much better basketball team than they showed last night."

Fidler took control in the second half, where he posted 18 of his 27 points on 7-of-10 shooting. He hit three treys in the half, two of which gave the Dinos back the lead, and he added three assists and a pair of steals in the final 20 minutes.

"Here’s a second year guy with Robbie (Sihota) sitting on the bench for most of the game, he’s figured out that with Henry (Bekkering) out of the lineup it’s his turn," Vanhooren said of Fidler, the reigning Canada West rookie of the year. "It was a great game for him, you could see his shot coming around, and that’s big for our confidence level."

Bekkering missed his fourth straight conference game but is expected back in the lineup next weekend when the Dinos visit the Lethbridge Pronghorns to end a streak of 10 straight games against divisional opponents.

Much as was the case Friday night, the Dinos took a first quarter lead and looked confident heading into the second up 23-17. A 10-0 run by the Huskies opened the second quarter, however, giving the visitors their first sustained lead of the weekend. Showron Glover, the leading scorer in the conference, provided fits for the Dinos defensively with his speed and creativity, and the Dinos didn’t score until Ross Bekkering made a pair of free throws midway through the quarter to end the run.

The Huskies maintained their lead through most of the frame until Jamie McLeod hit a big three for the Dinos to put them in front 31-30, and Jordan Flagel put the Dinos up yet again at 34-33.

The third unfolded in a similar way, with Saskatchewan embarking on an early run to take the lead before the Dinos clawed back into it. The lead changed hands four times in the quarter, but Calgary survived to take a 58-52 lead into the final 10 minutes.

Saskatchewan tied the score yet again at 62-62 midway through the fourth quarter, but another trey from Fidler gave the Dinos the lead for good. Glover brought the Huskies within a single point at 7-271, but the Dinos scored the final five points to eke out the victory.

Without his star player in the lineup, Vanhooren was impressed with the contributions of other players who stepped up on the night.

"From our perspective, we got a lot out of our bench," said Vanhooren. "Flagel played great, Fule played great, and that’s what we need. Fule made a huge bucket down the stretch, got a steal when we needed one, and created a turnover late in the game. Those are big big plays for a youngster and I’m really proud of how he played."

Glover finished the night with 20 points to lead the Huskies, playing the entire 40 minutes, while Troy Gottselig hit several clutch baskets to record 17 points. Ross Bekkering (13) and rookie Dominyc Coward (12) were the other two Dinos outside Fidler to hit double-digit scoring, with Bekkering returning to double-double territory with a game-high 11 boards.

The Calgary win keeps the Dinos four games up on the Alberta Golden Bears in the division standings, while the loss drops the Huskies to 6-8 as they battle with Alberta and Lethbridge for the final two playoff spots. Calgary and Lethbridge tip off in southern Alberta for a two-game series next weekend, while the Huskies head out on the road again to face Brandon and Regina.

With files from Ben Matchett, University of Calgary Sports Information