LETHBRIDGE - After a 3-7 start to their 2019-2020 regular season, the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns controlled play from the opening tip en route to a 110-92 victory against the University of Regina Cougars.
 
After starting their season in November with one of their most impressive performances to date in a nail-biter against the University of Alberta Golden Bears, the Pronghorns opened the new decade with a masterful showing against the University of Regina Cougars.
 
There were many stories in this game, but the headliner was an outstanding double-double performance from Colton Gibb. He would finish with a career high 34 points and 12 rebounds, thanks to an extraordinary 21 point first quarter. Shooting 13 of 19 from the field, while adding six from the line, Gibb would put up the most impressive game in his Canada West career.
 
A strong supporting cast would also show up to play, with Jeff Rodehutskors posting a double-double of his own with 24 points and 11 rebounds, on an even more efficient 11 of 15 shooting. Scott Mazutinec and Keanu Funa would chip in 17 and 16 points of their own in the win.
 
The Cougars were led by a star-making performance of their own, as third-year Carter Millar would score 28 points on 11 of 14 shooting, while adding 7 rebounds. Brayden Kuski, Benjamin Hills, and Greishe Clerjuste would be his supporting cast with 13, 10, and 10 points a piece.
 
With the win, the Pronghorns improve to 4-7, while the Regina Cougars drop to an identical 4-7 record.
 
The 'Horns would start the new decade in a lull, as Regina would jump out to an early 7-0 lead. The home side quickly found their footing on offense but were unable to get stops. With a 15-7 lead, Regina would call timeout in hopes of stalling the Pronghorns' momentum. The opposite would be true, thanks to Colton Gibb. The fourth-year guard would begin to find his shot, propelling the Pronghorns to a 7-0 run. Within one, 15-14, Gibb would take a stranglehold of the game. He would score 21 of the 26 points in the quarter, shooting 8 of 10 from the field. A buzzer beating three-pointer with no time to spare would cap off his incredible quarter and give the home side a 26-20 lead after one.
 
The Pronghorns' offense would continue to heat up in the second quarter, as the Lethbridge supporting cast would begin to find its groove. Lethbridge would begin to exploit a mismatch between the Regina post players and Jeff Rodehutskors, as he would be fed down low for 12 points in the quarter. Keanu Funa would find his shooting touch as well, chipping in 5 points. The home team would be in control for the majority of the quarter, taking a 50-33 lead into halftime.
 
Regina would come into the second half seemingly a different team. Tightening up defensively, the Cougars would use their strong play on the defensive side of the ball to fuel their offense. Shots would begin to fall for the Cougars, after shooting 31 percent in the first half. Fourth-year Benjamin Hills and third-year forward Carter Millar would lead the charge for the road team. A 17-11 start to the quarter would see the Pronghorns lead diminish to 11 points, 61-50. With their double-digit lead dwindling, key pieces of the Horns' lineup that had previously been quiet began to find their groove. Scott Mazutinec, Brett Warren, and Chad Oviatt would lead a 12-4 run for the Pronghorns as the home side would go up 73-54. Both teams would battle to finish the quarter, as the 'Horns would take a 79-63 lead into the final quarter.
 
The 'Horns would put up arguably their strongest offensive quarter in the fourth, scoring 31 points. The Cougars began a full court press early in the quarter hoping to make a game out of things but were never able to cut the deficit to single digits.
 
The Pronghorns and Cougars will meet again tomorrow night to wrap up the weekend series. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the 1^st Choice Savings Center in Lethbridge.