Game Information
 
Date: Friday, Jan. 4 & Saturday, Jan. 5
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Venue:  Ron and Jane Graham Centre Court in the PAC
Watch: Canadawest.tv
Get in the action: Tickets

DOWNLOAD GAME NOTES
 
SASKATOON – Once again locked in a tight race in an always competitive Canada West conference, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men's basketball team will look to start the second half of their season off with a bang when they host the Lethbridge Pronghorns on Jan. 4 and 5.
 
With just three games separating third place all the way down to tenth, every game becomes that much more important for a Huskies team that is stuck in the middle of that standings gridlock.
 
Their current record of 7-5 has the Huskies in seventh place, but due to an exceedingly tough first half schedule, their RPI – which is used to seed the 12 teams that make the Canada West playoffs – would see them enter the playoffs as the third seed if the post-season were to start today.
 
On tap for the Huskies is a Lethbridge squad that is also hoping to start 2019 strongly. Six losses in a row has seen the Pronghorns slide down the Canada West standings where they currently sit in the twelfth and final playoff spot.

Five Things
 
1: The Huskies RPI is so high in part because they have already faced: the first place Calgary Dinos, second place UBC Thunderbirds, third place Winnipeg Wesmen and fourth place Fraser Valley Cascades, going 4-4 against the top teams in the conference.

2: Emmanuel Akintunde led the Huskies with 28 points in the two exhibition games against American competition that they played over the winter break.

3: After starting the year 4-0, Lethbridge has lost their last six games.

4: The game should be fast-paced, Lethbridge leads the conference in steals with 11.1 per-game while the Huskies are third with 9.5.

5: Mike Pierzchala leads the Pronghorns with 17.9 points per game.

By the Numbers
 
5 – The Huskies have won five of their six home games so far this season. 
 
10 – Five Huskies are averaging double-digits in points at the halfway mark of the season.
 
178 – Both teams have explosive offences and combined they are averaging 178 points per-game.
 
2  –  This weekend will be one of just two home weekends for the Huskies this semester.

Scouting the Pronghorns
 
After falling to the Alberta Golden Bears in last season's Canada West semifinal, Lethbridge will be looking to qualify for the postseason for the fourth consecutive season. The team is loaded with veterans as three of the team's starting five are in their fifth year of eligibility.
 
The Pronghorns are getting to the line more than anyone else in the Canada West this season, as their 25.4 free throw attempts per game leads the conference.
 
Four of the Pronghorns starters have averaged double-digit points to give Lethbridge one of the highest-scoring offences in the Canada West so far this season with 90.3 points per-game.