Lethbridge – Coming off their first playoff series win in 16 years, the Lethbridge Pronghorn men's basketball team will travel to Edmonton to take on the Alberta Golden Bears in a best of three quarter-final.
 
The best of three starts Thursday night at 8:0pm. Game two is Friday night at 8:00pm and game 3 if necessary will go Saturday night at 7:00pm. Catch all three games on www.canadawest.tv.
 
The winner of the quarter-final series will advance to the Canada West final four, hosted by the highest remaining seed. Calgary is the top seed, while the Pronghorns are the sixth seed and the Bears are third.
 
The Pronghorns and Bears faced off only two weeks ago during the final weekend of the regular season in Edmonton. The Bears won the first game 97-86 before the Pronghorns won a thrilling double overtime game 96-64.
 
In 2001, when the Pronghorns last advanced to the second round of the playoffs, the Pronghorns lost two games straight to the Victoria Vikes. The last time the Pronghorns and Bears faced off in the post-season was in 2000, where the Bears upset the Pronghorns in three games on home court. The Pronghorns went on to Nationals, beating Concordia in the quarter-final before losing to St. FX in the semi-final.
 
Look at the teams statistically
 
After ranking seventh in the conference offensively (80.6 ppg), the Pronghorns scored over 90 points in both games last weekend and ranked first among the eight playoff teams that were in action last week, averaging 95.5 points last weekend. The Pronghorns finished the regular season ranked sixth defensively (78.7 ppg), but allowed 85 points against in both games versus the Vikes last weekend.
 
The Bears finished the season with a 14-6 record but the overtime loss to the Pronghorns cost them the number one seed and a chance to host the final four.  Alberta enters the post-season with the fourth best offence during the regular season, averaging 82.5 points per game. Defensively, the Bears were ranked third, allowing 74 points against.
 
Players to Watch
 
For the Pronghorns, Dejon Burdeaux continues to have an exceptional second season with the Pronghorns. In the game two win, Burdeaux scored a game high 34 points, while picking up a double-double with 12 boards. He also had six steals and two assists.
 
Elliott Sentance was a great at both ends of the floor last weekend for the Pronghorns and combined for 35 points in the two wins. Mike Pierzchala tied a Canada West playoff record Friday night with nine three pointers and scored a career high 31 points.
 
For the Bears, the trio of Mamadou Gueye, Brody Clarke and Austin Waddoups do the majority of the damage offensively. Gueye led the Bears in scoring with 15.9 points per game, while Clarke and Waddoups averaged 14.4 and 13.7 points respectively.
 
 
 
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