Box Score EDMONTON - The No.10 University of Alberta Golden Bears basketball team got another big victory Saturday night at the Saville Community Sports Centre, defeating the Lethbridge Pronghorns by an 84-57 score. The win puts Alberta in fourth place in the Pioneer division at 14-6 and now winners of eight straight, while the Pronghorns finished the season 8-12.
The Bears were led offensively for the second-straight night by senior guards Kenneth Otieno and Joel Friesen on this, their senior night. Friesen had a game-high 27 points to go along with four rebounds while Otieno had 15 points and a team-high six assists. Forwards Sebastien Denault and Brett Roughead had a team-high six rebounds each. Alberta outrebounded Lethbridge 39-27.
The Pronghorns were led in scoring by fourth-year forward Brent Watkins, who had 16 points while first-year guard Zac Overwater poured in 12 and a game-high seven rebounds while fourth-year guards Jared Baker and Rob Olsen added a team-high three assists each.
The Bears and Pronghorns started the game out much tighter than the previous night, beginning at 8-8, Alberta`s eight points all scored by Friesen. The Bears then went on an 11-3 run to finish the quarter, highlighted by two shot clock buzzer-beating jumpers from Denault. Friesen finished with 11 in the first and Alberta led 19-11 after one.
In the second, it was all Bears as they outscored the Pronghorns 27-8, starting off with an 24-6 run to start the quarter and push the lead to 43-17. Otieno had nine in the quarter, Friesen and Mammadou Gueye had five each, and the Bears led 46-19 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Alberta continued their strong night as Friesen and Otieno dominated their senior night, Friesen knocked down three jumpers and Otieno put home a monster dunk to a loud ovation from the home crowd and Alberta outscored Lethbridge 24-12 in the third. The Bears led 70-31 after three.
Credit Lethbridge for a second-straight night with their fourth-quarter resiliency, though, as Overwater and Olsen continued to play, combining for 16 of Lethbridge`s 26 points in the quarter as they outscored the Bears 26-14, but fell in defeat 84-57.
The win clinches fourth place in the Pioneer division for Alberta, who will play at second seed Victoria by virtue of losing a tiebreaker to UBC. Alberta lost both games to Victoria earlier this season, 74-73 and 76-52, and will play the Vikes in a best-of-three quarter-final series, February 27-March 1.
