GAME INFORMATION

Date: Friday, Nov. 5 & Saturday, Nov. 6
Time: 8:00 p.m. & 8:15 p.m.
Opponent: Regina Cougars
Location: Saskatoon, Sask.
Venue: Physical Activity Complex
Watch: Canadawest.tv

It's been a long time coming, but Lisa Thomaidis and the Huskies are finally back on home court this weekend. 

The defending U SPORTS National Champions return to the PAC for their first pair of home games this weekend and they do so against their provincial rivals.

Saskatchewan enters this weekend looking like the Saskatchewan of old. They were dominant on opening weekend, recording 50 and 64-point victories over the Brandon Bobcats.

But if history teaches us anything, this weekend figures to be more tightly contested.

Provincial rivals. High-stakes matchups. Back-and-forth thrillers. Saskatchewan and Regina have provided some of the best games in U SPORTS over the last decade.

These programs have met in four of the last five Canada West title games. And they'll do battle in four-straight regular-season games this season, thanks to the geographic-based schedule the conference adopted for 2021-22, as the Huskies will head south to take on the Cougars on Nov. 26 and 27.

Regina comes to town looking to get in the win column. They are 0-2 after falling twice to the Winnipeg Wesmen, 88-82 and 92-77 on opening weekend. 

Saskatchewan has won their last three matchups against Regina dating back to the 2018-19 Canada West Championship and they will look to continue their winning ways against their provincial rivals this weekend at the PAC. 

5ish Things:

1. The Huskies will honour their 2019-20 Canada West Champion and U SPORTS National Champion team prior to Saturday night's contest.
2. After being ranked number-two in the Canada West preseason coaches poll, Saskatchewan enters the weekend as the highest scoring team in the nation, averaging 100 points-per-game. 
3. Points aren't the only category the Huskies lead the country in. Saskatchewan's 54.5 per cent clip from the field is first in the nation. 
4. Also making her official return to the PAC is Laura Dally. Dally is the program's new lead assistant coach, taking over for Claire Meadows who was appointed as head coach of the Queen's Gaels. Dally was a member of Saskatchewan's first-ever national championship team in 2016 and went on to represent Canada with the senior women's national team.
5. It feels like we are officially entering Carly Ahlstrom breakout season. The third-year Calgary product made a statement to the rest of the west this past weekend, with a 31-point performance on 12-16 shooting on Friday night. 
6. Cougars guard and St. Joseph graduate Cara Misskey will be playing in her first-career Canada West game in Saskatoon this weekend, as the freshmen enters the weekend leading the country in assists. 
7. Also set to make their PAC debuts this weekend are a handful of Huskies. Eight Huskies are in their first-year of eligibility, including six-foot guard Téa DeMong, who started both games this weekend for Saskatchewan.

Scouting the Cougars:

Dave Taylor is back behind the bench for Regina, but this is a different looking Cougars team than one we last caught eyes on in 2019-20. Graduated from the program are Michaela Kleisinger, Alexi Rowden and Avery Pearce, who were all fifth-years. Also gone are Michaela Crone and Emily Dewey. 

But with departures comes arrivals. The aforementioned Misskey is among them. Fellow first-year Jade Belmroe also figures to be a big piece, with the Leboldus graduate putting up 23 and 10 in her first-career Canada West contest last Friday. 

Faith Reid is one of the only few returnees to the team. Reid recorded 18 and 13-point performances on opening weekend and figures to be relied on heavily to score the ball this season for Regina, as they look to get back to the postseason.