KAMLOOPS – The Thompson Rivers WolfPack men's basketball team picked up right where they left off with an 85-79 victory over the Saskatchewan Huskies in Saskatoon.
 
After starting the year 0-5, the win was the fourth in a row for the WolfPack who have climbed all the way to tenth in the conference thanks to the second-longest winning streak in Canada West.
 
Outstanding defence down the stretch was the difference for the 'Pack.
 
Holding just a two-point lead with 23 seconds to play and the ball in Saskatchewan's hands, Simon Crossfield came up with the play of the game. The third-year forward from Vancouver sprinted cross-court and jumped up to block the potential game-winning three-pointer to preserve the WolfPack lead.
 
Rookie Cyrus Harrison led TRU with 20 points while also adding seven rebounds. It was depth that shone for TRU on the night however. Daniel Bost, Asher Mayan and Thomas Olsen ended the game with 16, 14 and 13 points respectively with Denys Bachurin and Reuben Wright adding eight and seven on their own.
 
Alexander Dewar had a game-high 31 points for the Huskies while Fisayo Moibi and Tyrese Potoma added 12 and 11 apiece.
 
A back-and-forth first quarter was narrowly edged by the hosts. Daniel Bost had seven points on 3-4 shooting but a last second lay-up from the Huskies gave them a 22-20 advantage after ten minutes of play.
 
The second quarter belonged to TRU. Harrison poured in 12 points and the 'Pack knocked down over 62 per cent of their attempts from long range en route to scoring 28 points in the frame and taking a 50-42 lead into the halftime break.
 
After Saskatchewan chipped into the lead in the third quarter, the fourth was full of drama. A layup from Wright gave TRU a 76-69 lead with five minutes left in the frame before Saskatchewan rallied late. The Huskies cut the lead all the way to just two before the block from Crossfield and clutch free-throw shooting courtesy of Bost and Mayan allowed TRU to pull out the victory.
 
These same teams will be back in action tomorrow in a game scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. (PT) in Saskatoon.