POST GAME
LETHBRIDGE – The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns entered the match as the underdog against the USPORTS number five ranked, University of Winnipeg Wesmen. Despite the Wesmen leading for much of the Friday night matchup, the Horns refused to go away. The game came down to the final shot, but ultimately, the Wesmen held on.­­ Jack-Henry Fox-Grey led the Pronghorns in scoring, earning 25 points on the evening, while Mikhail Mikhailov led the Wesmen with 18. The thrilling showdown featured a cultural celebration in honour of Indigenous Community Night at the University of Lethbridge Gymnasium.
 
BREAKDOWN

• The teams traded baskets to start the game, until Alberto Gordo drained a three-pointer with two minutes left to put the Wesmen on the offensive. Gordo followed the made three-point shot with a dunk to stretch the Wesmen lead to seven. With a late basket by Winnipeg to end the quarter, the Horns trailed by nine heading into the second.
• The Pronghorns started the scoring off in the second quarter as Shae Gibb's jumper cut the lead back to seven, but the Wesmen found the offensive from that point on, converting defense to offense to stretch their lead to 14. This run was capped off by a three-point make from Malachi Alexander.
• Kymani Pollard nailed a three-point attempt for the Horns in response, bringing the score within 11 before Jack-Henry Fox Grey went on a run for the home team, cutting the deficit to seven.
• The Wesmen defence left Parker Flemming open to start the second half and the Pronghorn freshman took advantage, hitting a three-pointer to make it a five-point ball game.
• It was Alberto Gordo who extended the lead once again to 12, draining two third quarter shots from beyond the arc. With both teams neck-and-neck, tensions soared with the referees handing out technical fouls to both teams with less than four minutes remaining in the quarter. The Pronghorns refused to go away and with two made free throws by Shae Gibb, Lethbridge was back within three.
• The story repeated as the fourth quarter progressed, with Winnipeg stretching the lead again to 11, but the tenacious Pronghorns fought back once more. Kymani Pollard sought the mismatch against Donald Stewart, drawing the foul to make it a one possession game.
• With less than a minute on the clock, Kymani Pollard broke down the defense for a layup to cut the lead to two, but Donald Stewart answered for the Wesmen keeping their lead at four.
• As the clock ran down, Shae Gibb drilled a three-point shot from beyond the arc for the Horns. The Pronghorns fouled to stop the clock, sending Shawn Maranan to line. Maranan hit both, and Pronghorn fans were on their feet as Kymani Pollard let a buzzer beating shot fly, but was not able to sink the game-tying three.

 
NEXT UP
Lethbridge Pronghorns host the Winnipeg Wesmen for rematch on November 18 at 7 p.m. MST at the University of Lethbridge Gymnasium.