EDMONTON - The Alberta Pandas held the Lethbridge Pronghorns to just a 28.1% mark from the field in a largely defensive 65-45 victory Friday night at the Saville Centre.
The win snaps a two-game losing streak for the hosts, who somewhat limped through a tough January schedule that saw the 6-ranked Pandas go 3-5 in the month. However, with the victory tonight they remain in the hunt for the #3 seed in the division ahead of the playoffs starting next week.
Kiah Easton-Ihediohanma and Annacy Palmer paced Alberta with 14 points apiece, while the Cougars were led by Courtney McKee who had a game-high 16. The game was a defensive slugfest, with the Pronghorns also holding the Pandas to their third-lowest percentage from the field this season at 31.8%. The teams combined to turn the ball over 46 times, while they shot 17% from beyond the arc on a day where space was at a premium.
With the loss, the Pronghorns move to 5-14 and are eliminated from the Canada West playoffs, with the seven-win Brandon Bobcats and Manitoba Bisons now out of reach.
The first quarter was all Pandas from the jump, as they led for the entirety of the first quarter after the opening basket. The hosts were tenacious on defence, forcing eight turnovers in the opening frame and scoring 16 points off of them, a game-high. Annacy Palmer was the lead beneficiary for Alberta, pacing all scorers with seven points off of two treys.
After giving up 25 in the first, the Pronghorns defence certainly picked it up in the second. They held the Pandas without a basket until the 5:00 minute mark in the frame, and held them to just seven points overall. Their offence was not able to take advantage however, as they shot just 25% in the frame and still turned the ball over five times. The Pandas entered the break with a slimmer 32-23 advantage in the low-scoring affair, with Lethbridge's Courtney McKee pacing all players with 13 points.
It continued to be a defensive battle for most of the third quarter, until the Pandas shot four-of-five from the field in a 12-2 run late in the frame to take a decisive 17-point lead into the fourth quarter. McKinley Penninga was a big catalyst for the Pandas, scoring three points and grabbing four boards in the frame, helping the transition offence out greatly.
The fourth quarter saw an improved Pronghorns offence on the floor, executing in the paint with more veracity than the previous three frames, but it was too late. Coupled with a late Pandas run, the hosts were able to close out the final quarter with a 15-12 advantage en route to the 20-point win. The teams finish their seasons off with a 5 PM matchup tomorrow at the Saville Centre.
