REGINA, Sask. – With fourth place in the conference already clinched, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men's basketball team weren't able to complete the sweep in a 96-88 loss to the Regina Cougars on Saturday night at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport.
The win puts the Cougars into the 5/12 matchup in next weekend's Canada West play-in round. They'll host No. 12-seeded Mount Royal next Friday at the CKHS, and a win in that game would set up a rematch against No. 4-seeded Saskatchewan in a best-of-three quarterfinal series in Saskatoon.
The Cougars never trailed in Saturday's win. They drew first blood in the game with a 14-3 run in the first quarter that put them up by 15, and held onto the double-digit lead for most of the contest. Saskatchewan cut it to a two-possession game just before halftime, but Carter Millar sparked a quick 9-0 run that restored the 15-point lead at the break. Regina led by as many as 17 points in the second half, including as late as with under four minutes left before Saskatchewan went on a late 17-6 run to get it to within six points with just under a half minute remaining. But a Myles Hamilton free throw made it a three-possession game, and then the Cougars put it away after Hamilton got a steal and a fast-break bucket shortly thereafter.
Three Cougars led the way with 16 points in the win, including Greishe Clerjuste, Benjamin Hillis, and Carter Millar. Clerjuste and Hillis also tied for the team high with eight rebounds, while Samuel Hillis added 14 points and Hamilton added 13 points.
Lawrence Moore again led Saskatchewan, piling up a game-high 24 points in addition to leading all players in assists (9) and steals (6). J.T. Robinson added 14 points, while
Maxwell Amoafo and
Alexander Dewar both chipped in with 13. Amoafo added 10 rebounds to notch the game's lone double-double.
Next up for the Huskies in a Canada West quarter-final, while they don't yet know their opponent, they do know that games will take place Feb. 14-16 on Ron & Jane Graham Centre Court.
