Arron Lai, Pronghorn Athletics
LETHBRIDGE - Following a convincing 78-54 victory against the MacEwan Griffins in their season opener Friday night, the Lethbridge Pronghorns women's basketball team did much of the same en route to a 69 to 50 victory to sweep the weekend series.
The 'Horns defense was stifling in the first half, holding the Griffins to only 15 points, and five field goals. The Griffins found more offensive success in the second half, posting 35 points in the latter half of the game.
Despite this surge, the 'Horns outscored the Griffins in the first three quarters of the game, posting 19, 15, and 22 points in each of the first three quarters.
"I feel like this weekend was a great starting point for us against a rough opponent," said Pronghorn interim head coach Dave Waknuk. "Lots of positives to star the year, but still with room for improvements,"
"Overall we are happy with the team and the way they battled all weekend."
Once again, the 'Horns were led by a balanced attack. Friday night saw seven players register 9+ points, with four scoring double digits. Saturday saw Katie Bosch (17 pts, 3 stl, 2 reb), Amy Mazutinec (13 pts, 5 reb, 3 a), and Logan Monkcs (11 pts, 4 reb) lead the way for the Pronghorns.
Bosch was the big story in this game, as the transfer from Gonzaga University left Friday's affair after the first half with a nose injury. She returned triumphantly tonight with an impressive 17 point night on 7 for 12 shooting.
With the loss, the MacEwan Griffins drop to 0-4 on the season. The Griffins showed encouraging growth on offense, with 11 of their 12 players registering points. Rookie Hayley Laylor and second year Mackenzie Farmer led the way with 11 and 10 points a piece.
Similar to opening night, the first five minutes of the quarter saw both teams struggle offensively. The pace began to pick up after a Kathryn Hankins basket sparked the team. From there, the Horns finished the quarter on an 11 to 4 run to take a 19-8 lead after quarter one.
The 'Horns were unrelenting in the second quarter on both ends of the floor, using their stifling defense to fuel the offense. The 'Horns shot 13 of 37 after 20 minutes, while holding the Griffins to five of 19 shooting.
The third quarter saw both teams with hot hands, as they traded triples in the opening minutes. The 'Horns were seemingly unable to miss their triples in the third quarter, shooting an impressive three of five from beyond the arc.
Despite being outscored by the Griffins 20-13 in the final quarter, the Pronghorns' dominating play in the first three quarters saw them comfortably pick up their second win of the season.
The Pronghorns will hit the road next weekend as they travel west to the Okanagan Valley to take on the UBCO Heat. Friday tip off is set for 7pm MT time, with the Saturday rematch taking place at 6pm MT. The Griffins will return home to take on the Winnipeg Wesman in search of their first wins of the season.
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Photo by: MPP Photography