Lethbridge – Heading down the home stretch of the 2013-14 Canada West season, the Lethbridge Pronghorns men's basketball team is poised to return to the post-season this year but there is still plenty of work to be done as they prepare to host a pair of Pacific division foes this weekend.
 
The 'Horns open the weekend's home stand versus the UBC Thunderbirds Friday night at 8:00pm, followed by a match-up Saturday night with Pacific division leading and CIS third ranked Victoria Vikes. Saturday night's tip-off goes at 7:00pm and both games will be streamed live on http://canadawest.tv.
 
With only three weeks remaining in the conference schedule, the 'Horns (11-5) only need a single win to clinch a post-season berth.  A home playoff date is also in reach as the 'Horns trail the Saskatchewan Huskies by just one game for second place in the Prairie Division.
 
Facing stiff tests against nationally ranked opponents the last two weekends, the 'Horns have gone 2-2 in those series' and are 8-2 in their last 10 conference games.
 
It has been an up and down season for the 2012-13 Canada West champion UBC Thunderbirds this season as they find themselves in an unfamiliar position at 8-8 and battling for their playoff lives. Since the semester break the T-Birds are 4-2 but have had a pair of three game losing streaks this season.
 
The 2013-14 season has been nearly perfect for the Victoria Vikes, as they've suffered just two conference losses and sit atop the Pacific Division standings at 14-2. Winners of four straight, the Vikes have a three-game lead over the surging Fraser Valley Cascades for top spot in the division.
 
A look at the teams statistically
 
Saturday's contest sets up an intriguing matchup of offence verse defence. The 'Horns enter the weekend with the second ranked offence (84.8 points per game) and face the top ranked defensive unit Canada West in the Vikes (56.8 points per game). The Vikes are allowing almost 10 fewer points per game than anyone else in the conference.
 
Like their record, the T-Birds fall into the middle of the pack in offensive and defensive rankings in their conference, ranked sixth defensively (75.1 points per game) and eighth offensively (74.6 points per game).
 
The 'Horns are ranked in a tie for 14^th defensively (83.2 points per game), while the Vikes are ranked 11^th at the offensive end of the floor (72.5 points per game), but sit first in the conference in scoring margin at +15.7.
 
Players to watch
 
Brandon Brine and Logan Reiter continue to lead the 'Horns potent attack, both sitting in the top 10 in conference scoring with 17.1 and 16.9 points per game, while Brent Watkins is second n the conference in rebounding with 8.5 rebounds per night.
 
The T-Birds rely on a trio of players, Tommy Nixon, David Wagner and Tonner Jackson's season average's hover around the 12 points per game mark.
 
The Vikes depend heavily on a pair of players to account for the bulk of their scoring. Terrell Evans sits third in conference scoring averaging 17.9 points per game and Chris McLaughlin is the lone other Vike to average double digits in points with 14.9 points per game.