Lethbridge – After clawing out to a one-point advantage in a low scoring first half the Winnipeg Wesmen exploded offensively in the second half to bury the Lethbridge Pronghorns by a final score of 84-58 and complete the weekend sweep.
The victory moves the Wesmen to 2-2 on the season while the 'Horns fall to 2-2 with the loss.
The Pronghorns started the game hot, hitting a scorching 63.6% on 7-11 from the field in the early going. Unfortunately, the 'Horns had trouble holding onto the ball, turning it over 10 times in the quarter and giving the Wesmen several easy scoring chances as a result.
'Horns rookie Mike Pierzchala flashed his shooting range, hitting a long two and following that up with a three-pointer to keep the 'Horns close. Christopher Baxter led the way for the Wesmen with seven points and Jelane Pryce hit a three in the final seconds of the quarter to give Winnipeg a 22-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Pronghorns dialed up the long-ball in the second quarter with Brandon Brine and Zac Overwater each connecting from downtown - Overwater's three tying the game at 28 with less than four minutes left in the opening half.
A low-scoring affair saw the Wesmen struggle to find their range in the first half, shooting just 34.2% compared to the 'Horns at 53.8%. The Wesmen took care of the ball though, and generated second chance opportunities with 11 offensive rebounds. The 'Horns continued to be careless with the ball and turned it over a total of 17 times while missing their only two free-throw attempts.
Mark McNee led the way offensively for the Wesmen in the first half with 11 points on four-of-eight shooting, while Baxter added 10 points.
The Pronghorns were paced by Brandon Brine who had 11 points on five-of-eight shooting while hauling down four rebounds. Pierzchala, Overwater, and Jared Baker each chipped in with five points.
The second half saw the two teams exchange baskets until a jumper by fourth-year Centre Brent Watkins, who had been quiet up to that point, gave the Pronghorns the lead 40-38 midway through the third quarter. That would be the last lead of the night for the 'Horns as the Wesmen offense came alive to close out the 3rd quarter on a 21-7 run and extend their lead to 59-51 at the break.
The Wesmen poured it on in the 4th quarter, taking control early with a 10-0 run to start the final frame. The lead extended to 20 points by the six-minute mark and the Wesmen cruised the rest of the way to seal the win.
Four Wesmen reached double-digits on the night, with Baxter and McNee each scoring 18 and McNee also contributing 10 boards in a solid effort. Pryce and Jordan Clennon each chipped in with 10 points on the night.
The 'Horns went cold in the second half after a hot start and ended up shooting just 40% for the game. They were led by Brine who scored 15 and added eight rebounds. Jared Baker was the only other Pronghorn to hit double-digit points and he finished with 10 on the night.
The Pronghorns hit the road next weekend, travelling to Langley B.C. to take on the Trinity Western Spartans while the Winnipeg Wesmen travel to Saskatoon to face the Saskatchewan Huskies.