Eoin Colquhoun, Pronghorn Athletics
LETHBRIDGE – Looking to head into the break on a positive note, the Lethbridge Pronghorns overcame a defensive lapse in the opening quarter to earn a weekend sweep of the Fraser Valley Cascades with a 101-75 victory.
After the win, the Pronghorns head into the break with an impressive 10-2 record, while the Cascades fall to 4-8.
As he has done all semester, Dejon Burdeaux led the charge with a game high 24 points. Saren Westrop came off the bench to pour in 23 points and Kyle Peterson continued to find his legs after three years away from basketball and picked up 22 points.
For the Cascades, Kenan Hadzovic caught fire in the second half, scoring 18 of his team high 20 points in the half. All 18 points came from long range as he was 6 for 8 from behind the arc. Mark Johnson record the games only double-double with 15 points and 10 boards, while Andrew Morris hit for 10 points.
After giving up 28 points in the opening quarter, the Pronghorns upped their defensive pressure for the final quarter, leading to 27 Cascade turnovers on the night, proving to be the determining factor in Saturday night's outcome. The Pronghorns were able to cash in 33 points off those turnovers.
In a track meet in the opening quarter, the Cascades came away with a 28-24 lead but the tide began to turn in the second, with the Cascades turning the ball over eight times in the quarter. The Pronghorns were able to pour in another 27 points, while holding the Cascades to only 13 to take a 51-41 lead into half time.
To open the second half, the Pronghorns continued their run from the second quarter, opening the third with a 19-5 run to build a 24 point lead, one that they kept heading into the fourth, 79-55.
The third was not a kind quarter for the Cascades, as a team they made five shots but three of them were from long range from Hadzovic.
With an unsurmountable lead the Pronghorns were happy to trade buckets with the Cascades in the fourth and cruised to the 26 point win.
On the night, the Pronghorns shot the ball 47.8% and after only hitting one three-pointer last night, were 11 for 25 from behind the arc, while only turning the ball over 13 times. The Cascades hit on 43.3% but their undoing on this night was inability to take care of the ball. Fraser Valley also only got to the free throw line four times on the night, compared to the Pronghorns 29 attempts.
Both teams will now head into the semester break. The Pronghorns will open 2018 on the road, traveling to Winnipeg to face the Manitoba Bisons the first weekend in January. The Cascades will return to Canada West action versus the Trinity Western Spartans in a home-and-home series.