Lethbridge – Heading on the road this weekend, the Lethbridge Pronghorn men's basketball team travels to Victoria to face the Victoria Vikes in a pair of important games.
 
The 'Horns and Vikes will square off Friday night at 8:00pm and Saturday 7:00Pm, both times are Pacific Standard Time. Both games will be streamed live on www.canadawest.tv.
 
Following two losses to the Saskatchewan Huskies last weekend, the Pronghorns (8-6) dropped to sixth in Canada West but now sit eighth in RPI (Rating Percentage Index). This season the top 12 teams based on winning percentage qualify for the playoffs but will then be ranked 1 to 12 based on each team's RPI Standing in order to account for the various strengths of schedules faced by each team in an unbalanced schedule. The top four teams will get a bye during the opening round of the playoffs with teams ranked five through eight hosting a best of three to open the post season.
 
The Vikes (5-7) have had an up and down season thus far, winning their first conference game before losing six of their next seven games. Last weekend, the Vikes swept the UBCO Heat in Kelowna to move into the final playoff spot, but are only one spot behind the Pronghorns in the RPI.
 
Statistically not much separates the Pronghorns and Vikes; the 'Horns hold the ninth ranked offence (78.7 ppg) and the eighth ranked defence (79.4 ppg), while the Vikes sit 12^th offensively (76.8 ppg) and sixth defensively (78.2). The Vikes hold a 43% shooting percentage compared to the 'Horns 42.6% and the 'Horns hold a slight advantage in rebounding, averaging 38.1 rebounds compared to the Vikes 37.8 rebounds a game.
 
Players to Watch:
 
In his first season with the Pronghorns, British national Elliott Sentance continues to lead the 'Horns in scoring, averaging 19.7 points per game, which places him fourth in Canada West scoring. Point guard Dejon Burdeaux leads the conference in total steals with 55 and is tied for the conference lead in assists with 64. He is also 14^th on the Canada West scoring list, averaging 15.9 points per game.
 
For the Vikes, they also rely heavily on a pair of imports to do the bulk of their scoring. Grant Sitton, a fifth-year guard from Brush Prairie, Washington leads the Vikes in scoring with 17.3 points per game. Fellow Washington native, Scott Kellum is the only other Vike to average digits in scoring and is chipping in with 12.1 points per game.
 
The 'Horns will return home next weekend to host their final home conference games of the season, hosting the UBCO Heat.
 
 
 
 
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