The stretch run is on for the Keyano Huskies. The first weekend of regular season action in Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) play brings an opportunity for all four court sport teams with the Huskies to make their move up the standings or defend their strong first half play.
Women's Basketball
Matchup: NAIT Ooks (5-5, Third in ACAC North Division) vs. Keyano Huskies (4-6, Fifth in ACAC North Division)
Location: Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre
Schedule: Friday at 6:00 PM MT & Saturday at 1:00 PM MT
Viewing Options: ACAC TV & Telus Optik 1998
Last weekend: The Huskies split a pair of exhibition games in Calgary, beating the Ambrose Lions and taking a defeat as the hands of the St. Mary's University Lightning.
The Huskies and Ooks last played each other in the play-in round of the ACAC Championships, with the Huskies earning the home win by an 18-point margin. Both teams will be looking to capitalize on a new start to their seasons after both sides with 2-4 in the month of November. After playing six road games in the first half of their season, the Huskies will have a home-heavy second half with six dates at the SSWC including this weekend's matchup.
Key performer: Kaylynn Tucker. The guard from Omaha, Nebraska was a wrecking ball for the Huskies in the first half, with her 192 points and 38 steals both ranking fifth in the conference and second in the North Division. Keeping her locked in for the second half will be essential to the Huskies' success in the second half.
Men's Basketball
Matchup: NAIT Ooks (4-6, Fifth in ACAC North Division) vs. Keyano Huskies (9-1, First in ACAC North Division)
Location: Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre
Schedule: Friday at 8:00 PM MT & Saturday at 3:00 PM MT
Viewing Options: ACAC TV & Telus Optik 1998
Last weekend: The Huskies won on the road twice against the Ambrose Lions and St. Mary's University Lightning, edging out the latter by two points in a 77-75 result.
It doesn't get much better for ACAC basketball matchups than the renewal of the rivalry between the Huskies and Ooks. November 24, 2018 is the last time the Ooks claimed a win against the Huskies, but the two sides have battled closely in recent years with the Huskies winning by no more than 12 points in each of their last four meetings. The Huskies loss on October 28 against the Concordia Thunder put their regular season winning streak on ice, but the top team in the ACAC North rebounded with a 6-0 November. After a 3-1 start to the regular season, November wasn't kind to the Ooks, who dropped five-straight games before closing out the first half with a win against the Lakeland Rustlers. They're on the playoff bubble at the moment and will be motivated to rise to the challenge against the Huskies.
Key performer: Omeechi Williams. The third-year forward from Hamilton, Ont. has quickly assumed the leading scoring role for the Huskies, average 21.6 points per game to rank second, by just two points difference from first, in total scoring for the North Division. With 31 three-pointers through the first 10 games, he appears to be a lock to surpass his previous season-high of 39, which was set last year.
Women's Volleyball
Matchup: Red Deer Polytechnic Queens (9-2, First in ACAC South Division) vs. Keyano Huskies (5-7, Fourth in ACAC North Division)
Location: Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre
Schedule: Saturday at 6:00 pm MT
Viewing Options: ACAC TV & Telus Optik 1998
Last weekend: A busy weekend of exhibition action in southern Alberta saw the Huskies top a pair of opponents from the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference (MCAC), but dropped three others to ACAC competition and tied one other.
After beginning the season with five-straight losses, the Huskies clawed back with a 4-2 record in November, including a win against the NAIT Ooks to wrap up the first half. With a 12-game first half, the Huskies have just seven games left in their regular season, including a pair of games against the defending national champion Lakeland Rustlers next weekend. Coupled with the knowledge that teams below them have games in hand and are close to surpassing the Huskies makes this weekend's lone game that much more important. The Queens have been a vicious opponent to face at home though, dropping just four sets through four games, with three of those coming in a loss to the Ambrose Lions. This will be the first rematch between the sides since they faced each other in the quarterfinals at ACAC Championships last year in Red Deer.
Key performer: Karlene Kaminski. Having assumed more of the offensive duties, the outside hitter from Regina, Sask.is already having a career year with 130 kills through 12 games, surpassing her totals from 16 and 18 games in the previous two seasons. Keeping her going in the second half will be key for the Huskies extending their season as long as possible.
Men's Volleyball
Matchup: Red Deer Polytechnic Kings (9-2, First in ACAC South Division) vs. Keyano Huskies (10-2, First in ACAC North Division)
Location: Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre
Schedule: Saturday at 8:00 pm MT
Viewing Options: ACAC TV & Telus Optik 1998
Last weekend: The guys split a quartet of exhibition games, beating the Briercrest College Clippers and TKU Eagles, but falling to the Olds College Broncos and RDP Kings.
For the second time this season, the Huskies will be involved in a battle of division-leading teams. In the first half, that was a battle against the Clippers but the South Division lead has since shifted to favour the Kings. The Huskies will be eager to fight back after a straight-sets defeat by the RDP Kings in exhibition play last weekend. At this point, both sides are pretty much locks to snap up one of the top four spots in their respective divisions and could build towards another battle in Olds in late February. The Kings have been a formidable opponent at home as well, sporting a perfect 4-0 record inside the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre this season.
Key performer: João Cunha. A superb first half from the Rio de Janeiro, Brazil product produced 152 kills (3rd in the ACAC), averaging out to 3.38 per set. The Huskies have other offensive options, but it's clear who the leader is and keeping him on his game in the second half will help to elevate the Huskies.
