Box Score
CALGARY – In front of a crowd of almost 2,000, the University of Calgary Dinos won their final game of the regular season when they defeated the Lethbridge Pronghorns in overtime, 105-92.
The loss drops the Pronghorns to 15-7 and while it is the best record for the program in 14 years, the loss ended the 'Horns quest for a home playoff series. Entering the final series the 'Horns needed to win both games versus the Dinos and hope that the Saskatchewan Huskies lost both of their games to the Alberta Golden Bears to clinch second place.
The Dinos finish the season out of the playoffs with 7-15 record
Canada West leading scorer Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson scored a game-high 31 points and recorded 13 rebounds for a double-double in his last game of the season. Rookie Jhony Verrone added 21 for the Dinos while Philip Barndt picked up the only other double double of the game with 16 points and ten rebounds. Also hitting double digits was Josh Turner with 14 points and Josh Owen-Thomas with another 13.
For the Pronghorns, Brandon Brine led the way with 22 points. Logan Reiter picked up a team-high eight rebounds and 18 points and both Morgan Duce and Alex Fletcher added 17.
Tied early on, but teams worked out their nerves in front of a massive crowd. Missing shots on both ends, the game was only 13-10 in favour of the Dinos half way through the first.
The Dinos began to pick up the pace from there, going up 19-12 and later going on a 8-2 run over the Pronghorns to lead 27-14. A number of Dinos contributed to their 11 point lead as they headed into the second up 27-16 in one of their biggest first quarters of the year.
In the second, the Dinos maintained their lead and thanks to some quick buckets from Verrone, extended it. With five and a half left on the clock, a three-pointer from Ogungbemi-Jackson put the Dinos up 36-21, and before the Pronghorns knew it, Calgary's lead was up to 20.
At 41-21, Ogungbemi-Jackson had already scored 20 points for the Dinos, making up for almost half of the teams total points. Taking him off the floor for a breather, the Dinos struggled to score nearing the end of the quarter. Lethbridge tried to capitalize, but were only able to get within 15 before the half expired.
In the third, the Pronghorns began to slowly chip away at Calgary's lead. Lethbridge lingered around a ten-point deficit throughout the quarter, and it wasn't until two minutes were left in the third that they cut it down to five at 63-58.
Ogungbemi-Jackson's point total moved up to 27 when the quarter ended as the Dinos were clinging onto a 68-62 lead.
Both teams went cold to start the fourth quarter with just one point scored within the first two minutes. With seven minutes left, Lethbridge scored a lay-up and sunk a three-pointer to make it a two-point game.
Continuing to put on the pressure, the Pronghorns finally found a way to tie the game up at 70 and within two minutes, took their first lead of the game at 74-73.
With a number of lead changes in the final minutes of regulation, two free throws from Turner gave Calgary an 81-79 lead with 33 seconds left. Duce sunk a jumper for the Pronghorns to tie the game up.
The Dinos had the last possession with just 19.9 seconds left, but Ogungbemi-Jackson was unable to sink the game winner, therefore sending the game into overtime with the score tied at 81.
In overtime, both teams were already in bonus, so a number of free throws were taken by both teams to start the extra five minutes. It was eventually the Dinos coming out on top with Verrone, Turner and Owen-Thomas scoring some key baskets to seal the Dinos victory.
The Pronghorns will move on to the Canada West quarter-finals next week, traveling to face the Fraser Valley Cascades in a best two out of three series in Abbotsford.
