Pronghorns preparing to host Saskatchewan in final home weekend

By Lethbridge Herald on January 15, 2026.

Nathan Reiter
Lethbridge Herald

For the final time this season, the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns will take to home court.

The Horns will complete their home basketball schedule this weekend as they welcome the University of Saskatchewan Huskies to the Co-op Centre for Sports & Wellness. Lethbridge will be on the road for the final two weekends of the regular season in Winnipeg and Edmonton.

Part of the weekend festivities will include the Horns honouring all of their graduating players. For the women, fourth year forward Abby Stonehocker will not be back for her fifth year of eligibility after wrapping up her degree.

Head coach Dave Waknuk says the former Raymond Comet has been an important player for the program.

“She’s been a big part from Raymond, brought toughness. She really is the definition of what you want our local athletes to be. She’s a great student, competitor, teammate and person in the community, she checks all those boxes.”

The other graduating player is fifth-year guard Kamryn DeKlerk. Lethbridge is the third stop for DeKlerk in her post secondary career after spending time with the Calgary Dinos and Alberta-Augustana Vikings. The Rollyview, Alta. product says her time in Lethbridge has been something she will cherish.

“It’s really special. I’ve played for a couple of programs in my post secondary career, but none have felt like home like Lethbridge has to me, so I’m really just overwhelmed with gratitude going into this weekend. I’m just excited to play one more time here.”

It’s going to prove an extreme challenge for the Horns to pull out a win on home court this weekend. Saskatchewan is the defending national champion in women’s basketball and sit atop the U SPORTS rankings. The Huskies have not lost a game since Nov. 2, 2024 and are coming off a sweep of the Alberta Pandas in Edmonton last weekend, who are ranked number two in the country.

Waknuk says the Huskies play efficient basketball which makes them difficult to stop.

“They’re so disciplined, they’re so effective, they really know who they are and they do it well. Everyone plays their role really well. They have the best coach in the league in Lisa Thomaidis. Their players are just so disciplined, and I think they’re the model for how you want your team to play basketball. They play with composure, they play smart, they play the right way, they’re the real deal for sure.

If the Horns are going to find success against the Huskies, they will need to slow down the engine of the Saskatchewan offense in fifth-year guard Gage Grassick. Last season, Grassick took home the Nan Copp Trophy as the national player of the year in U SPORTS women’s basketball.

“She plays at her own tempo. I think teams try to speed her up, but she controls the pace.” Waknuk explained. “You just try to keep the bodies in front of her and just try to (not) give her easy looks. It’s hard because she’s such a smart player, but just try to throw a lot of different looks at her, a lot of different bodies at her, try to keep in front of her, but those things are easier said than done.”

Lethbridge is currently ranked 40th in the country, but aren’t afraid of taking on some of the best teams in U SPORTS. Three of the top four teams in the country play within the Canada West Prairie Division with Saskatchewan (1), Alberta (2) and Regina (4).

Waknuk says Lethbridge will have to play the best version of their game if they want to pull off an upset this weekend.

“It’s still continuing the process of preparing ourselves to play our best basketball. As much as you know that they’re over there and you got to prepare for some of what they do, you also have to prepare for your best version of your basketball because that’s how you would beat them. You would beat them by playing your best ball, not by kind of playing to their style. A lot of what we’re trying to do this week is just trying to be the best version of ourselves because that is our best chance to beat them.”

Subhead: Men looking for build off sweep of MacEwan

The Pronghorn men will have a chance to get back to a .500 record this weekend against the Huskies.

Lethbridge will celebrate four graduating players this weekend in fifth-years Kymani Pollard and Karter Fry. Two fourth-years will also be concluding their post secondary careers in guard Bryce Solis and forward Sebestian Perez.

Head coach Kenny Otieno says the two fifth-year players have been great for mentoring the younger players on the Lethbridge roster.

“They have been huge pieces in terms of developing culture and setting the tone for the guys that have come in and see them flourish over the last couple of years. Mani being kind of like an engine, leading scorer, does so much, he’s really grown with his leadership this year. He’s been able to pick guys up and bring us together, and then Karter just sends an example with just how hard he works. Just molding to whatever role that we have for him, and he’s been really good with that, hasn’t complained, obviously he always wants to ask questions about what he can do better, but he’s been just a great role model for guys like Cole (Steele) and a couple other guys that have come in over the last couple of years, but can’t say enough about both of those guys.”

Pollard, who is originally from Gardena, California, says Lethbridge has been special to him since arriving as a junior college transfer.

“The city of Lethbridge (has) meant everything to me. The bonds I created, the relationships, family, friends. I’ll definitely cherish this and this will be a place that I call home and family forever.”

The Horns are coming off a sweep of the MacEwan Griffins on home court last weekend while the Huskies picked up a split in Edmonton against the Alberta Golden Bears who are ranked 10th in the country.

Otieno says Lethbridge can not take Saskatchewan lightly, despite them being lower in the standings with a 3-9 record.

“I think our mentality coming into MacEwen was just to play the right way every possession and let kind of like our process and our mindset take care of itself and not worry about the results too much. I think it’s the same mentality with Sask even though MacEwen and Sask are both kind of lower ranked teams it doesn’t matter they’re solid teams that are scrappy and they play hard.”

“We got to come with the right mindset with Sask. They have some fire power with guys that score the ball pretty well so different challenge for us but I think we’re up for it and we want to definitely finish strong in terms of our last home games of the season before we’re on the road to finish the season.”

Tip off at the Co-op Centre for Sports & Wellness is scheduled for 6 p.m. for the women on Friday night followed by the men at 8.