Pronghorns primed for playoffs
DESPITE A REGULAR SEASON-ENDING LOSS, THE HORNS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM IS POST-SEASON BOUND
The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s basketball team’s regular season is over, but they’re not.
Wrapping up their 2017-18 Canada West campaign, the Pronghorns were topped 68-58 by the Alberta Pandas Saturday night at the 1st Choice Savings Centre.
However, there’ still some basketball to be played.
Thanks to their 11-9 record that gives them the ninth seed in Canada West, the Horns are headed to the west coast this weekend to take on the UBC Thunderbirds in a play-in game, their first post-season game in seven years.
“The nicest thing of all is we get to play more basketball,” said Pronghorns assistant coach Dave Waknuk. “It’s been a little while, so we’re excited for that, too.
“It’s been since 1993-94 that this program has finished over .500. Those are things we have to take and be proud of and enjoy, because you can’t take those for granted. It’s obviously a great time for the program and the people that put the work into it and the people who have been on those teams that didn’t get there. This isn’t just this year, this is about all the teams that have been there.”
On the men’s side, the Horns and the Alberta Golden Bears battled to the buzzer before a clutch Alberta shot with eight seconds left handed the visitors a 98-97 win as the Pronghorns wrap up the season at 12-8 and in fourth place in the Canada West.
In the women’s game, senior guard Zoe Dahl — playing in her final home game as a Pronghorn — led all scorers and tied her season high with 21 points.
Kacie Bosch hit for 18 points and Kathryn Hankins put up 13.
“I think it’s so great for Zoe to have the night that she had,” said Waknuk. “There isn’t a better example of what a Pronghorn should be and is than Zoe. The work she puts in and the way she treats people, that’s the things that, as a coach, you dream of in your captain. It was great for her to be honoured after the game and for the team to honour her that way is so well-deserved. She’s more excited because this doesn’t mean the end of the season. She’s getting to the playoffs and that’s all she’s wanted in her five years here. It’s a nice moment for her, too.”
In Saturday’s game, the Pandas led most of the way, but the Horns made it close late, pulling to within one possession with a little over five minutes to go before the Pandas closed the door and sealed the win.
“It was a close one, I thought we played a pretty good game,” said Waknuk. “We dug a hole early, and give that team credit, they have some veteran players. We cut it down to one and two baskets and we just couldn’t break (through). I thought we did some good things, but we couldn’t get that basket we needed at the end.”
In the men’s game, the Pronghorns nearly handed the Golden Bears their second loss of the season, but Alberta’s Mamadou Gueye made good on a jump shot in the final seconds for the one-point win.
A 35-point third quarter gave the Pronghorns a 71-68 lead.
Down by seven, the Golden Bears put up a 150 run to move up 90-82 late before Gueye’s lastsecond heroics.
Despite the loss, the Pronghorns clinch fourth in the Canada West and the right to host.
The team has a bye next week and will wait to see who they’ll host for the Canada West best of three quarter-final the following week. Follow @DWoodardHerald on Twitter