The Huskies polish their shots before facing the number three Pronghorns.

The Huskies men’s basketball team will look to put some distance between themselves and the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns when the two teams clash next weekend. The Dogs host the Pronghorns for a two game series on Jan. 24 and 25 in the Physical Activity Complex.

With only eight games left in the season, the results could have a big impact on playoff seeding.

The two teams sit second and third in the rankings with the Huskies holding a slight two point lead over the Pronghorns. With 11-3 and 10-4 records respectively, the results of the weekend series could shake up the standings. Both teams are chasing the University of Alberta Golden Bears, who boast a 12-2 record.

This will be the first and only meeting between the two squads during the regular season. Last year the teams split their series, each earning one win.

In addition to holding home court advantage — where they are 5-1 — the Dogs should be the more confident team. The Huskies are coming off a two-game win streak while the Pronghorns dropped their last game to the Golden Bears.

There’s little difference between the two teams when looking at the stats. The Pronghorns barely beat the Huskies in scoring average, with 86 points per game while the Dogs net 85.8. Rebounds are the same story, where the Pronghorns average 42.5 while the Dogs grab 42.3 shots off the board per game.

With the teams so evenly matched in every category, the games should be incredibly competitive affairs where every basket counts.

Key players for the Huskies will be Stephon Lamar, the team’s leading scorer, Dadrian Collins, Ben Baker — who leads the Dogs in rebounds — and Matt Forbes. Brandon Brine and Logan Reiter will look to lead the Pronghorns’ offence, while Brent Watkins will look to dominate off the boards.