The Huskies suffered unexpected defeats.

After suffering two losses this past weekend, the Huskies men’s basketball team fell to second place in the Prairie Division with a 9-3 record.

The Dogs lost to the number one team in the Pacific Division, the University of Victoria Vikes, on Jan. 10 and the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds on Jan.11.

The Vikes triumphed 55-46 at home in a low scoring game that saw the normally hot Huskies offence miss their mark.

The opening quarter was close, with the Vikes sneaking out a 13-11 lead, but the Huskies began to fall behind as the home team went on an 8-0 run in the second quarter. Dadrian Collins kept the team close thanks to nine points in the first half, but heading into the break the Vikes still held a 27-22 advantage.

The Huskies were trailing by ten after three quarters of play as the Vikes continued to keep the Dogs off balance. In the fourth quarter the Vikes earned six straight points to gain their biggest lead of the night — a 12 point difference that the Huskies weren’t able to overcome as the top ranked team in the Pacific Division downed their prairie rivals.

The Dogs struggled from beyond the arc, landing only two of 16 three-point attempts while the Vikes went nine of 28.

Collins led all players with 15 points. Matt Forbes added another 13 and Ben Baker grabbed 12 off the boards.

The Thunderbirds got the better of the Huskies the next night, defeating the visiting team 93-88.

Draining 65 per cent of their shots from the field during the first quarter, the Thunderbird’s shooting was potent and helped the home team take a 27-22 lead. The Huskies tried to keep pace but trailed 38-46 at the half.

The Dogs made their push in the third quarter and outscored the Thunderbirds 23-14 in the frame. An 11-2 run helped the Huskies earn a 61-60 lead to even the playing field heading into the fourth.

After losing two of their best players — Matt Forbes and Ben Baker — to fouls with eight minutes left in the game, the Huskies were left depleted. The Thunderbirds pounced on the opportunity and reclaimed the lead to seal the win.

The Huskies shot a respectable 47 per cent from the field and 29 per cent from the three-point line, but the Thunderbirds shot a lofty 65 and 40 per cent from the same markers.

Collins and Stephon Lamar contributed 22 and 20 points respectively. Trevor Severinski led the Huskies in rebounding with eight.

The Huskies play the University of Calgary Dinos in Calgary, Alta. on Jan. 17 and 18.

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Photo: Calvin So