Lethbridge – After two months of training camp and non-conference games, the Lethbridge Pronghorns begin a new conference season, hosting the Brandon Bobcats for a pair of games at the 1^stChoice Savings Centre.
 
The Pronghorns and Bobcats will hit the hardwood Friday night at 8:00pm and Saturday night at 7:00pm. Both games will also be streamed live on www.canadawest.tv.
 
Last season, the Pronghorns and Bobcats did not face each other but two seasons ago, the Pronghorns swept the Bobcats in Lethbridge.
 
"It's been an up and down pre-season as we've battled injuries and inconsistent play, but we're getting healthy and I'm excited to see what this team can be," said head coach Mike Hansen.  "Brandon is an athletic team with good balance and Coach Cheung has done a great job of adding some nice pieces to their team."
 
"This will be a great early test for us and they should be some fun games for our fans."
 
A look at the teams
 
During the preseason, the Pronghorns went 7-2 in non-conference games and earned quality wins over Concordia University and Queen's University on the road.
 
Last season, the Pronghorns finished the regular season with a 13-7 record and won their first round playoff series over Victoria before falling to the Alberta Golden Bears in three games.
 
The 'Horns were the seventh best offensive team during the regular season, averaging 80.6 points per game but have lost leading scorer Elliot Sentence. Defensively, the Pronghorns were ranked sixth, allowing 78.7 points per game. 
 
The preseason was not a gentle one for the Bobcats, finishing their non-conference schedule with a 1-6 record, three of those losses were against American schools. They also lost games to provincial rivals Manitoba Bisons and Winnipeg Wesmen.
 
A year ago, the Bobcats finished with a 9-11 record and were ranked 12^th offensively, scoring 76.5 points per game. They were the second worst defensive team in Canada West last season, allowing 83.9 points per game.
 
Players to watch
 
Dynamic Guard Dejon Burdeaux returns for his final season as a Pronghorns. Last year, Burdeaux narrowly finished second to Sentance for the team lead in scoring (17.1ppg) and was named a Canada West Second Team All-Star. He also led the country in steals last year.
 
Two new faces could be keys to Pronghorn success this season. Kyle Peterson returns to the Canada West after three years away. Peterson played two seasons for the Victoria Vikes and just returned from a LDS Mission. He started 19 games as a freshman for the Vikes and averaged nine points per game as a sophomore.
 
Local product Saren Westrop returns to Lethbridge after spending one season with Iona College in the NCAA and last year with Harcum Junior College. The 6-foot-7 forward will play a big role in the Pronghorns front court.
 
Brandon returns leading scorer Tyvon Cooper, who averaged 18.4 points and 3.3 assists to last season but the Bobcats did lose the second and third leading scorers from last season. However, the Bobcats have brought in six new players, four of which have post-secondary experience and will be looked at to make immediate impacts.
 
Next Up: Pronghorns head out on the road next weekend, traveling Edmonton to face the MacEwan Griffins. The Pronghorns next home game will be Thursday November 9^th when they host the Mount Royal Cougars.