POST GAME
LETHBRIDGE – As the sparkling white flurries continued to fall outside the University of Lethbridge, the Pronghorns faced the University of Alberta Golden Bears to open the second half of the Canada West season. The first half of Lethbridge's season had been incredibly exciting to watch, as the starting backcourt pairing of Angelo Mbituyimana and Kymani Pollard continued to shine for the Horns. Mbituyimana finished with an impressive 50% shooting percentage from the field. For the Golden Bears, starting forward Caiden Kushnir had collected over 100 rebounds and 15 blocks in the first half of the season, proving to be a dominant force in the paint while shooting 54% from the field. This match ended in absolute hysterics as the Lethbridge Pronghorns won the game with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Karter Fry. 
 
Q1

• Ethan Egert of the Golden Bears made his presence felt early, scoring the first 6 points for Alberta while grabbing 2 rebounds. The game started at a breakneck pace as both teams sought to catch each other in transition.
• Lu Dalil of the Pronghorns made a huge block, immediately stifling a Golden Bears possession and swinging the momentum of the first quarter back to Lethbridge.
• With less than one minute remaining in the first quarter, Kymani Pollard found space to drive for a layup while drawing a foul, converting the and-one. However, this was quickly answered at the other end of the court by a dagger 3-pointer from Golden Bears guard Logan Powell.

 
Q2

• Caiden Kushnir slammed the ball home through traffic for the first Golden Bears score of the quarter. After a quick stop on the other end, Alberta's Fahad Yusef drained a tidy corner 3-pointer to extend the Golden Bears' lead to 7.
• Angelo Mbituyimana responded with a great floater, despite heavy pressure, forcing the Golden Bears to call a timeout to slow the mounting pressure from the Pronghorns halfway through the quarter.
• Lethbridge's Brady Bains hit a 3-pointer from the logo, forcing Alberta to take another timeout. The momentum had now fully swung in the Pronghorns' direction, with Lethbridge controlling play on both ends of the court.
• Brady Bains caught fire this quarter. The stands erupted as he sank 2 consecutive 3-pointers, bringing his point total to 13. After those shots, the Pronghorns had a 9-point lead over the Golden Bears.
• Angelo Mbituyimana put an exclamation mark on the first half with a fantastic steal and dunk, sending the home crowd to its feet. The Pronghorns led the Golden Bears 42-32 after 20 minutes.

 
Q3

• Shae Gibb opened the second half with a slick 3-pointer, keeping the Horns rolling forward.
• Alberta's Fahad Yusef hit his 4th 3-pointer for the Golden Bears and the game took on a steady back-and-forth rhythm late in the third quarter. Yusef had 12 points and 3 rebounds at that point, making him the most prolific scorer for the Golden Bears in this game.
• Kymani Pollard continued to be a shifty and creative scorer for the Horns, making a 3-pointer of his own to bring his point total to 12 through 3 quarters. His impact went beyond just scoring, as his off-ball pressure on the Golden Bears was impossible to quantify through traditional statistics.
• The Golden Bears' Logan Powell hit a late 3-pointer to cut the Pronghorns' lead to just 2, but Lethbridge's Kymani Pollard answered with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from beyond half-court to end the quarter, extending the Pronghorns' lead to 5. Lethbridge led Alberta 67-62 heading into the final 10 minutes.

 
Q4

• Lu Dalil of the Pronghorns jumped and stretched high early in the quarter to make an athletic put-back basket over Alberta's Ethan Egert.
• Shae Gibb made a great steal, sending the ball down to Angelo Mbituyimana, who was fouled in the paint and sent to the free-throw line, making both shots. Lethbridge now led by 10 and while the double-digit lead inspired confidence, both the team and the crowd knew this game was far from over.
• With 30 seconds left to play, Kymani Pollard made a clutch steal and drew a foul to stop the clock. Though the Horns found themselves with just a one-point lead, the intense energy in the building had everyone on edge.
• The Golden Bears drew up a perfect set play to tie the game with only 15 seconds remaining. But as the tension rose, Lethbridge's Kymani Pollard isolated his defender to find an open Karter Fry in the corner. Fry hit the game-winning 3-pointer as time expired. An absolutely incredible finish to what may have been the game of the season.

 
NEXT UP
The Horns tip off at 7 p.m. against the Golden Bears again tomorrow night, January 11, at the University of Lethbridge, following the women's game at 5 p.m.