In their final weekend of Canada West regular-season action, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s basketball team split a pair of home games against the Winnipeg Wesmen. 

The Huskies entered the first game of the doubleheader on Feb. 18 on a two-game winning streak. They had won eight of their last nine games, with the single loss coming to the Wesmen on Jan. 29 in Winnipeg. The Wesmen proved to be formidable opponents once again, challenging the Huskies to a tight back-and-forth contest. 

The Huskies outscored the Wesmen 25-18 in the first quarter, egged on by the electric crowd at the PAC. However, the Wesmen found their way back into the game, leading by two points after the third quarter. 

Despite the Huskies attacking the rim well and drawing fouls against the Wesmen, they were unable to capitalize with their free-throw shooting. A tense fourth quarter ensued, with both teams trading baskets, unable to create any separation on the scoreboard. 

Third-year guards Marquavian Stephens and Alexander Dewar led the way offensively, scoring 27 and 23 points, respectively. Yet it was the defence that came in clutch at the end of the fourth quarter. Both teams were in a 76-76 deadlock with the Wesmen having the ball for the final possession. 

The crowd at the PAC came alive with chants of “Defence!” from the student section, an area reserved for university students, banging on pots to create a deafening noise directly behind the Wesmen bench. The Huskies were able to stop the Wesmen from scoring, and a five-minute overtime period would be required to declare a winner. 

Unfortunately for the Huskies, the overtime went the visitors’ way. After Dewar’s layup at the two-minute mark tied the game at 83-83, Wesmen guard Don Dayrit hit back-to-back three-pointers to put the Wesmen up 89-83, silencing the crowd and sealing the Huskies fate. The Wesmen prevailed 90-85. 

Head coach Barry Rawlyk was appreciative of the fan support in a postgame interview with Huskie Athletics and the Sheaf after the Huskies’ loss on Feb.18. 

“The fan support was really, really good tonight… It was a very playoff-like atmosphere, and I think that’s a good thing [that] we can get those [experiences] under our belt going into the playoffs,” Rawlyk said.

He added that the team’s effort level was up to par, but stated that their execution has to be sharper. 

The painted area on a basketball court stretches from the basket to the free-throw line. Due to its close proximity to the basket, it is a desirable area for scoring easy baskets. According to Rawlyk, preventing the Wesmen from scoring in the paint would be a focal point in the second game. 

“They were getting into the middle of the floor and into the paint all night… We have to do a better job of protecting the paint,” Rawlyk said. 

His words came into fruition the following night as the Huskies comfortably came out on top 80-64. 

The Wesmen held a two-point lead after the first quarter, and it seemed that the Huskies were in for another tight game that would go down to the wire. However, the Huskies managed to blow the game open with their stellar offensive play, outscoring the Wesmen by a combined 23 points over the second and third quarters. 

After allowing 46 points in the paint in the first game, the Huskies limited the Wesmen to just 24 points in game two. In addition to winning the paint points battle, limiting turnovers was also instrumental in the double-digit victory. 

Rawlyk cited untimely turnovers as a factor contributing to the Huskies’ loss in the first game. The Huskies responded in the second game, both by committing five fewer turnovers themselves and by forcing the Wesmen to commit five more turnovers than in the first game. 

Improvements in the Huskies’ defensive play were accompanied by a more even attack, with four Huskies scoring double-digit points, led by Dewar’s 18 points. 

With their victory, the Huskies finished the season with an 11-5 record, good for second in the East division of Canada West and fifth overall in the conference. 

Up next, they will head to the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge, where the Canada West playoffs are being hosted from March 3–5. As the fifth overall team in Canada West, they will receive a first-round bye and await their opponent on March 4. Fans can catch the action on Canada West TV.  

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Uday Chhina | Sports and Health Editor

Image: Supplied by Nick Saretzky | Contributing Photojournalist