LETHBRIDGE – After a year without Canada West playoff action, the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns returned to the postseason with an inspired 91-81 victory over the University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat.
With the Pronghorns heading into the third quarter down by one, 62-61, it was Deng Dak who would make his presence felt for the boisterous crowd at the 1st Choice Savings Centre. In the turning point of the game, three triples for Dak in the opening three minutes of the quarter would force a UBCO timeout with the 'Horns taking a 74-67 lead.
With the score at 80-75 for the 'Horns with two and a half minutes to play, it was Angelo Mbituyimana who would embark on a mini 5-2 run to extend the Lethbridge lead to 85-77. It was ultimately this spark by Mbituyimana that would enable the 'Horns to close out the game.
The Pronghorns were led by a determined performance from Deng Dak, Jeff Rodehutskors, and Angelo Mbituyimana. An efficient offensive performance from Dak saw the Brooks native score 24 points on 7 of 11 shooting, including 5 of 9 from three-point range. Rodehutskors added 19 points and 9 rebounds on 7 of 11 shooting, while Mbituyimana chipped in 23 points.
"We got in the gym every week and worked hard," stated Deng Dak when asked about the game. "It was really all about adjusting on the court and we just handled business. It was scrappy but in the end, we got the win."
"We have a lot of guys that can score – [positions] one through five we can all score above twenty. We just really put in the work. I was in the gym working hard every morning this week at six AM on the shooting machine."
The Heat were led by 20 points and 7 rebounds from Kevin Hamlet, while four other players scored double figures for UBCO. Hafith Moallin, Keaton Souster, BB Chuks-Mady, and Liban Yousef would add 13, 11, 10, and 10 points apiece.
"Tonight, we executed our game plan, and we were doing just what we wanted in the first three quarters," stated Heat head coach Clayton Pottinger when asked about the game. "The turning point was when Deng hit the three three-pointers in a row. We never quite recovered the momentum after that point."
This match also marked the first time in Canada West history two black head coaches competed against one another. When asked about the milestone, Pottinger noted:
"It is incredible to think that it is the first time that it happened. When you sit back and look at it, it is a cool little side sorry to tonight."
Following an inspired performance in their upset over the Manitoba Bisons, the Heat came out showing little rust. Following a nine-point run from the Pronghorns to lead 11-4, a ten-point UBCO run would give the visitors a 14-11 lead. The 'Horns would finish the quarter strong to take a 21-19 lead into the second quarter.
UBCO would open the second quarter with a 10-2 run to take a 29-23 lead, thanks to an aggressive offense that would earn them multiple trips to the free throw line. The teams would trade baskets for the remainder of the quarter as the Heat would take a 42-37 lead into the half.
The 'Horns would find themselves trailing by eight, 52-44, in the early goings of the third quarter. However, the raucous energy of the hometown crowd would fuel an 8-0 run for the Pronghorns who would tie the game 52-52.
After trading baskets, the Heat would find themselves up 62-59 with the game's final possession. Heat guard Hafith Moallin would drive into the paint for a layup only to be met by a chase down block from a soaring Jeff Rodehutskors. Angelo Mbituyimana would turn defense into offense off the block as the 'Horns would trim the deficit to one, 62-61, heading into the fourth quarter.
The Pronghorns will advance to the conference quarter finals where they will face the #2 seeded University of Victoria Vikes. Tipoff for the quarterfinal game is set for 7 p.m. MST Sat. at the 1st Choice Savings Centre. Catch the action live on CanadaWest.TV presented by Co-op.
