UNews - Brandon Brine

Horns hit the road for basketball playoffs

trevor.kenney — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 22:33:18 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s basketball team returns to the playoffs this weekend under first-year head coach Mike Hansen. The club heads out on the road to face the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Fraser Valley Cascades, ironically the team the Horns faced the last time they were in the playoffs, two seasons ago.

The best-of-three quarter-final series begins in Abbotsford, B.C. Thursday night, with game two Friday night and an if necessary game three on Saturday night. The start time for all three games is 8 p.m. (MST) and all three games will be streamed live on Canada West TV.

After the Horns finished the season with a 15-7 record, the most wins for the program since the 1999-2000 season, the program has drawn the hottest team in the conference in UFV. The Cascades have won 14 straight conference games, last losing November 23 in Saskatoon versus the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskies. The Cascades were also 10-1 at home this season with their only loss coming against the Mount Royal Cougars.

In their only match-up this season, the Cascades beat the Horns 79-69 during the first weekend of the conference schedule in Abbotsford. Two years ago in the playoffs, the Horns lost the third and deciding game of their opening round series on a buzzer beating three pointer.

The series will be one of two contrasting styles, offence versus defence. The Horns finished the regular season with the top ranked offence in Canada West, while the Cascades bring the second ranked defensive team to the series.

The Pronghorns averaged 84.3 points per game to lead the conference and rank sixth in the country. They also lead the conference in free throw percentage (75.2%) and assists (17.8). On the other side of the ball, the Horns were the 15th ranked defensive team in Canada West, allowing 83.3 points per game during the conference schedule.

With a quartet of players finishing with double-digits in points, the conference’s most potent offence was propelled by a balanced attack. Fifth-year guard Logan Reiter finished fifth in the conference to lead the ‘Horns in scoring, averaging 17.6 points per game. Brandon Brine was 9th in Canada West with 16.2 points, while Alex Fletcher and Morgan Duce rounded out the group averaging 12.7 and 12.2 points per game respectively.

Fraser Valley is at the polar opposite of the Horns in style of play. The Cascades allowed only 66.1 points per game, which ranks them second in the conference and fourth in the CIS. They led the conference in field goal defence percentage, holding their opponents to only 36.9% from the floor. At the offensive end, the Cascades were ranked 12th in Canada West, scoring 72.3 points per contest.

The Cascades do have a foursome averaging double digits per game in points, with Kevon Parchment leading the team with 17.2 points per game. Jasper Moedt sits second on the team with 14.4 points per game but also finished second in the conference in rebounding, averaging 9.1 rebounds per game.

The winner of the series will advance to the Canada West final four, hosted by the highest ranked remaining team.

Pronghorns seeking second place

trevor.kenney — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 22:56:50 +0000

Heading into the final two-game series of the regular season, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's basketball team is still in the hunt for second place in the Division and a home playoff date, but they will have to win their final two games versus the Calgary Dinos and get some help from the Alberta Golden Bears to do so.

The home-and-home series tips off Wednesday night in Lethbridge at the 1st Choice Savings Centre, with the back half of the series going Thursday night in Calgary. Start time for both nights is scheduled for 8 p.m. and both games will be streamed live on Canada West TV.

Entering the final week of the conference schedule, the Pronghorns trail the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskies by one game for second place and the Huskies will travel to Edmonton this upcoming weekend to face the CIS fourth ranked ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Golden Bears. With the Huskies holding the tiebreaker against the Horns, the U of L will have to win second place outright and see the Bears beat the Huskies both nights.

With their two-game sweep of the Bobcats last weekend in Brandon, the Horns (14-6) earned the program's most wins in a season since the 1999-2000 season, when the program went 18-2. For Calgary (6-14), being eliminated from post-season contention two weeks ago, they will look to play spoiler this weekend versus their southern Alberta rival.

The Dinos snapped a nine-game losing streak last Friday night in Regina, beating the Cougars 77-66 before losing the next night 92-81.

The Horns remain among the conference leaders in multiple offensive categories this season. The team is ranked second offensively, averaging 83.8 points per game, while leading Canada West in free throw percentage (76.5%) and assists per game (18.4). They are also second in three-point field goal percentage (36.4%).

However, the Horns rank 15th of 16 Canada West teams defensively, allowing 82.1 points per game, but lead the conference in defensive rebounds with 30 per night.

For the Dinos, they enter the final games of the season with the sixth ranked offensive unit (76.2 ppg) in the conference and scored above their season average both games last weekend. At the other end of the floor, the Dinos sport the 13th ranked defence, allowing 80.6 points against.

Pronghorns' fifth-year seniors Logan Reiter, Morgan Duce, Alex Fletcher, Dallon Martin and Spencer Wenzel will all play their final conference game on home court Wednesday night.

Reiter moved up another spot on the conference scoring list after last weekend and sits sixth with 17.6 points per game, while Brandon Brine is second in team scoring with 15.9 points per game. Both Duce and Fletcher are averaging double digits in points per game with 12.4 and 12.2 respectively. Fletcher is also averaging 4.5 assist per game.

Dino guard Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson leads the Dinos and the conference in scoring with 20.4 points per game. He also leads the conference in free throw percentage (89.4%) and minutes played per game (36). Josh Turner and Philip Barndt are both averaging double digit point totals per game at 12.9 and 11.2 respectively.

Should the Horns finish second and host one of the Canada West quarter-finals, the schedule for the best-of-three series would be as follows:

Best-of-three Quarterfinal – Feb. 21-23
Game 1: Friday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Sunday, Feb. 23, 4 p.m. (if necessary)

Gamble pays off for both Brine and Horns

trevor.kenney — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 23:25:30 +0000

There’s a fine line between want and need, and the closer you come to the second, the more willing you are to take a leap of faith.

For Brandon Brine and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s basketball team, each had reached a point where need was dominating their thinking. As a result, Horns head coach Mike Hansen trusted what he saw on YouTube videos about a 22-year-old Australian post player who had not yet played at a post-secondary level. Likewise, Brine trusted his gut, advice from friends and family and that Hansen’s portrayal of life at the U of L would match his vision. One semester into their relationship – so far, so good.

Australian rookie Brandon Brine (centre) has made an immediate impact for the Horns men's basketball program.

“I always wanted to play college basketball whether it be in the U.S. or here, but I didn’t really have the contacts to make it happen,” says Brine, a native of Adelaide, South Australia. “This just came at me out of nowhere and I jumped at it because it’s always what I wanted to do.”

Hansen adds that timing is everything.

“I got the Horns’ coaching job very late in the year and we knew we needed to replace Derek Waldner as well as add some depth in the post,” says Hansen. “Brandon’s video highlights immediately impressed me as his athleticism and great hands are two skills you can’t teach. We did our due diligence and when we found out that Brandon had been a part of the Australian National Team program, we knew we had a potential steal of a recruit.”

Brine’s assimilation to Canadian life, Pronghorn culture and Canada West basketball has been virtually seamless. Despite a pre-season shoulder injury, the 6-foot-6 forward has forced his way into the Horns’ starting five and helped stake the Pronghorns to a 7-3 record in the first half. He capped off his rookie semester by scoring a career-high 27 points and hauling down nine rebounds as the Horns beat the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina 91-89 on Nov. 30. His fadeaway jumper with 4.5 seconds to play was the game-winning shot and he was later named the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Male Athlete of the Week.

“Once I got the strap off my shoulder and started to get confidence, that’s when I started to play my game,” says Brine. “My theory is that I’m never good enough. I’m in here five/six days a week shooting and working on my game and just because I’m in the starting five now, it doesn’t mean I take my foot off the pedal. I’m always working to compete with myself.”

Brine was a multi-sport athlete as a youth but unlike many of his friends, who would be lured to pursue Aussie Rules Football, cricket or rugby, basketball was his sport of choice. He excelled in the Australian club system and participated in a host of international tours, playing in the U.S. four times, as well as in China and Japan.

With no post-secondary basketball options available in Australia, he was training with Adelaide’s professional team when the U of L beckoned.

“I really felt that it would take Brandon a year to get acclimated to southern Alberta and CIS basketball, but there are certain people who are open to new experiences and Brandon is one of them,” says Hansen. “He has made Lethbridge his home and has fit in and embraced the opportunity to experience a new culture and area of the world.”

Brine is studying kinesiology with the goal of becoming a physiotherapist, and is excited about being back in the classroom.

“Probably the biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is the school aspect, just getting back into doing homework,” he says. “I graduated from high school in 2008 and haven’t done any post-secondary schooling until now. It’s been a little bit of an adjustment but after the first month, it’s just become routine.”

It’s also becoming routine to see his name pop on the stat sheet. Brine says the run-and-gun style of play the Horns employ suits his game.

“The one thing I’ve had over most post players I’ve played against is my athleticism and being able to get up and down the floor,” he says. “I prefer to have a face-up game. I’m trying to work on my post game to become a little bit more lethal, but right now my strength is to face the basket and either shoot the open shot or take the guy off the dribble.”

He’s quickly adapted to the Canadian lifestyle. He spent the holiday season with his girlfriend and her family, says he loves the snow and is thrilled to be immersed in a basketball community.

“Back in Australia, the biggest crowd I would have played in front of was 150 to 200 people. So here, when you hit a three-pointer or get a dunk, the crowd goes nuts and it’s a great feeling. It gives you that extra shot of adrenaline and keeps the team rolling. I love that.”

The ability Hansen sees in Brine is unbridled.

“I believe he has the potential to be an All-Canadian, he is that gifted,” he says. “He needs to improve defensively and develop a more consistent back to the basket game, but in my opinion he is the most athletic player in the league.”

Maybe even more impressive is how Brine has fit into the Horns program, a testament not only to Brine and his upbringing but also to the culture of basketball in southern Alberta and of the U of L campus.

“The people, the town, everything just seems so homey. I feel so comfortable here,” says Brine. “Straight away, Mike’s been really good introducing me to everyone, my teammates are great – it just feels like a second home.”

Hansen knows full well the value the community brings to the program.

“I came here 23 years ago thinking I’d be here for four years, get my degree and head home,” he says. “Then you discover you’re not only welcomed to southern Alberta, we adopt you as one of our own. Brandon is a special kid, he comes from a great family and it’s reflected in his character. I think that’s what he’s enjoyed the most of being here, he has a home away from home.”

Horns' Brine named CIS Male Athlete of the Week

trevor.kenney — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 23:19:42 +0000

Brandon Brine, a fourth-year forward with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's basketball program, and Danielle Dube, a hockey player from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia, are the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) male and female athletes of the week for the period ending Dec. 1, 2013.

Brine is a fourth-year science student from Adelaide, Australia, playing his first seaosn of Canada West basketball with the U of L. He tallied 48 points and 18 rebounds over two contests as the Pronghorns improved to 7-3 in league play thanks to a pair of close-fought wins over the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina, 91-84 and 91-89, respectively.

The 6-foot-6 forward opened the two-game set on Friday with a team-high 21 points and nine rebounds. He was even better in Saturday’s rematch as he posted a career-high 27 points and another nine boards, including the game-winning basket on a fade away jumper with 4.5 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Horns are back in action Jan. 9, 2014 when they travel to Calgary to face the Mount Royal ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Cougars. Their next home action is Jan. 17-18 when they host the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta at the 1st Choice Savings Centre.

Dube, a third-year arts student from New Westminster, B.C., stopped 67 of 68 pucks fired her way in 130 minutes of action last weekend to guide the nationally sixth-ranked and Canada West-leading Thunderbirds (12-3-1) to a two-game sweep over the U of L Pronghorns.

On Friday evening, the veteran netminder made 44 saves in regulation and overtime and stoned four of six skaters in the shootout session as the T-Birds prevailed 2-1. The following night, in a 3-0 win, she turned aside 23 shots to earn her first shutout of the season and her eighth straight victory.

These are the final selections of the fall semester. The next CIS athletes of the week will be released on Jan. 8, 2014.

Horns look to cap semester on winning note

trevor.kenney — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 23:13:54 +0000

Coming off their second home sweep of the season, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s basketball team will stay on home court this weekend and host the Regina Cougars for a pair of games to close out the first semester of conference action.

The Horns, who are 5-3 in on the season, have been perfect at home, winning all four games on the 1st Choice Savings Centre floor, including wins against the UBC Okanagan Heat and Thompson Rivers WolfPack last weekend.

The Pronghorn men are a perfect 4-0 on their home court this season.

After scoring 81 and 90 points respectively last weekend, the Horns moved up to third in conference scoring averaging 80.9 points per game, but rank as the ninth best defensive team, surrendering 76.6 points per game.

Nearing the mid-point of the season the Horns are one of the most balanced teams offensively in Canada West, placing four players in the top 24 in conference scoring. Coming off a 30-point performance last Saturday, Logan Reiter leads the Horns in scoring averaging 15.5 points per game. Newcomers Brandon Brine and Jared Baker are averaging 14 and 13.3 points per game, while Morgan Duce rounds out the quartet with 12.9 points per game.

For the Cougars, while they won their last game, beating the UNBC Timberwolves, they were losers of their previous six games and sit at 2-6 on the season, good for sixth place in the Mountain Prairie Division. The 13th ranked offensive team in the conference, averaging only 69 points per game, the Cougars only have two players that average double digits in points with Brandon Tull leading the way, averaging 13 points per game. Brenden Hebert is the other Cougar to do so at 10.5 points per game.

Tip-off for Friday and Saturday night’s games are scheduled for 8 and 7 p.m. respectively and both games will be streamed live on http://canadawest.tv.

Women's Basketball

For the second week in a row, the Pronghorns women’s basketball team will play at the friendly confines of the 1st Choice Savings Centre and will face a strong test, hosting the CIS fifth ranked Regina Cougars.

The Horns are tied for sixth in the Prairie Division at 3-5 and are coming off a weekend split where they beat the UBC Okanagan Heat before losing a two-point game to the Thompson Rivers Heat, 66-64.

Ranked ninth defensively in the conference, the Horns held the Heat to just seven first half points on Friday night and average 62.2 points against per night.

At the other end of the floor, the Horns have struggled offensively thus far only scoring 54.8 points per game, but they showed some life last weekend, scoring a season high 77 points Friday and 64 points Saturday. A big reason for the Horns' offensive resurgence was the return of 2012-13 leading scoring Ali Cameron, who had missed the previous six games due to injury. In her first two games back she scored 12 and 24 points.

A bright spot this season for the Horns has been the play of fourth-year forward Kim Veldman. In seven games this year, Veldman has recorded five double-doubles and sits second in conference scoring, averaging 20.3 points per game. She is also second in conference rebounding, averaging 11.7 rebounds per game.

Tip-off for Friday and Saturday night’s games are scheduled for 6 and 5 p.m. respectively.

Men's Hockey

The Pronghorns men’s hockey team (1-12-1) will close out the first semester of conference action this weekend hosting the UBC Thunderbirds (3-10-1) in a pair of games at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

Puck drops both Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m. and both games will be streamed live on http://canadawest.tv.

For the Horns, the first half of the season has been a difficult one and they enter the weekend winless in their last seven games. The Horns are hoping to build off of Saturday night’s shootout loss to the Mount Royal Cougars, a game that saw the Pronghorns battle back from a 5-2 deficit to force overtime before falling in the shootout.

Women's Hockey

On the heels of their first four-point weekend of the season, the Pronghorns women’s hockey team travels to Vancouver to face the defending Canada West and conference leading UBC Thunderbirds in both teams’ final games of the first semester.

This weekend’s match up will be the second meeting of the year. On the opening weekend of the season, the Horns and Thunderbirds split their series in Lethbridge but the Horns earned an extra point in a 5-4 shootout loss before beating UBC 3-2 the next night.

The Horns put an end to a four-game losing streak last weekend in a big way, sweeping the Mount Royal Cougars in a home-and-home series. The pair of wins put the Horns right back into the playoff picture and they currently sit one point back of the Calgary Dinos for the final post-season position.

Horns basketball opens Canada West campaign

trevor.kenney — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 21:41:48 +0000

The Mike Hansen era begins this weekend for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's basketball program.

The ‘Horns will open the 2013-14 conference schedule on the road against the Fraser Valley Cascades and Trinity Western Spartans.

Tip-offs for the weekend are set at 8 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night respectively, with both games streamed online at http://canadawest.tv.

In addition to the leadership change, the roster received a complete overhaul with only five players from last season’s roster returning. A quartet of guards and reserve post remain with the program and will be led by seniors Morgan Duce, Logan Reiter and Alex Fletcher.

Reiter and Duce both averaged double digit points per game last season and will be counted on heavily to increase their scoring totals after the departure of the top two scorers from last season in Derek Waldner and Julian Spear Chief-Morris.

Among the nine newcomers to the program, Australian Brandon Brine, as well as ACAC all-stars Rob Olsen and Jared Baker, are expected to make a significant impact in their first season with the program. Post Brent Watkins could be a wildcard contributor for the Horns after transferring from Citrus College in California. Watkins, who did not play high school basketball, comes to the Horns with raw talent and will be relied on to be a presence in the paint. In his second season with Citrus last year, Watkins averaged 9.2 points and 7 rebounds per game while hitting nearly 75% of his shots from the field.

For a full weekend preview, visit gohorns.ca.

Pronghorn Women

Despite missing the playoffs for the third season in a row, there were a lot of positives to take away from the 2012-13 season.

In her first season at the helm of the Pronghorns women’s basketball program, Erin McAleenan led the Horns to their first double digit win total since the 1994-95 season, but a duplication of the 2012-13 season will be a tough task for the Pronghorns in the always tough Canada West conference.

The Horns will open the 2013-14 conference schedule this weekend on the road traveling to British Columbia to face the Fraser Valley Cascades and Trinity Western Spartans.

Gone from last season are post Erin Skippon, forward Steph Inman and utility guard Kara Henry. While Skippon was only with the program for one season, her leadership and post presence will be dearly missed.

While the voids left will be hard to fill, the Pronghorns return their top two scorers from last season in Ali Cameron and post Kim Veldman. Cameron, a pure scorer, returns for her fourth season and will look to build off her career best 15 points per game average last season.

Veldman, who averaged nearly a double-double last season, will be leaned on heavily at both ends of the floor, while senior guard Katlyn Olsen will also be counted on to help lead the young squad. With six true freshmen cracking the Pronghorns roster, there will be some growing pains along the way.

Southern Alberta product Mariah Miller has had a nice start to her collegiate career, recording a double-double in only her third preseason game.

Guards Erin James, Sara Simovic and Kendra Lee will all see significant time as freshmen and will need to make significant contributions if the Horns are going to duplicate last season’s record.

Tip-off for Friday’s game versus the Cascades is set for 6 p.m. PST, while Saturday’s game versus the Spartans will go at 5 p.m.. Both games will be streamed live on http://canadawest.tv

For more, visit gohorns.ca.

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