QUICKLY
The University of Regina's men's basketball team dropped a 78-72 decision to Saskatchewan on Saturday night in a U-Prairie Challenge game in Saskatoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Cougars got out to a big start on Saturday despite missing key players Christian Tabiri and Jamie White from the lineup due to injury. Regina's 11-0 run, which was capped by Isaac Kiona's first Canada West three-pointer, gave the Cougars a 24-9 advantage at one point late in the first. The Cougars maintained their double-digit lead throughout almost the entirety of the second quarter and took a 45-34 advantage into the halftime break.
• The game turned in the third quarter. Saskatchewan got a three-pointer by Freddy Kapinga on its opening possession of the half which started a 14-1 stretch for the Huskies, and an 8-0 run to close the quarter put the home side up by 11. Saskatchewan ended up outscoring Regina by a 28-6 margin in the third and led by at least eight throughout the fourth quarter until Jordan Persad's layup in the final minute brought the Cougars back to within six points.

NOTES

• Ben Kamba led Regina in scoring with 22 points while also chipping in with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Persad finished with 20 points, while Lodie Kenyi scored 15 for the Cougars.
• Easton Thimm scored a team-high 21 points for Saskatchewan and led all players with 13 rebounds to collect the game's lone double-double.

POSTSEASON UPDATE

• The Cougars (6-12) still hold the seventh and final postseason spot in Canada West's Prairie Division, but will head into the last weekend of the conference schedule just one win up on both Saskatchewan (5-13) and Brandon (5-13).
• Making matters even more complicated, Saskatchewan and Brandon play each other next weekend. Both of those teams hold the head-to-head tiebreak over Regina and Saskatchewan would emerge from a three-way tiebreaker, meaning that the Cougars will have to defeat Calgary at least once to qualify for the postseason.

NEXT UP
With their season on the line, the Cougars will host No. 2-ranked Calgary next Friday and Saturday at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport. Game time is set for 8:00 PM on both nights.