The Manitoba Bisons will welcome a familiar rival to town this weekend when they take on the Saskatchewan Huskies on Friday and Saturday night at Investors Group Athletic Centre. Click here to get tickets. These two teams have played in some thrillers over the years, and this weekend is sure to be the same, with plenty at stake in the conference standings.

Women's preview 
On the women's side, Manitoba is looking for their first win of the season, but can close the gap with a big series against the 4-2 Huskies, who won the conference championship last season. Saskatchewan is rocking a 20-game win-streak against Manitoba dating back to January of 2010, however wins haven't come easily for the U of S. Last year specifically, the two sides engaged in an absolute classic at IGAC in early February, with the visitors holding on for a 58-55 victory. 

Manitoba held a lead in the third quarter of that game, in part because of their ability to secure rebounds and stay aggressive in the paint. Third-year forward Autumn Agar had 12 points in the contest, and will be looked upon as one of the keys for the Herd, as the Huskies are second in the conference with 47.5 rebounds per game. Agar is averaging a career-best 10.3 points per game (tied for the team lead) and is also tied for the team lead with five rebounds per game as one of Manitoba's most intense players under the rim. 

The Bisons are a team that love to turn opponents over, scoring in transition due to their active defence. Versatile guards Lauren Bartlett, Mar Tomas Arbos and Keziah Brothers are just a few of the players who execute this game plan well, and will need to keep it going against a Huskies team that's second in the conference in scoring, at 83.2 points per game. Former conference all-star Carly Ahlstrom leads the way with 17.3 points per game, while second-year Gage Grassick is averaging 13.5 and rookie guard Logan Reider (played basketball and volleyball at the Canada Summer Games) is averaging 12.8. 

Defensively, Bartlett (also tied for the team lead with 10.3 points per game) and Tomas Arbos are both in the top 25 in the conference in steals per game, at 2.2 and 2.0, respectively, while the fifth-year Brothers -- who returned to the team after spending a year on a missions trip -- is tied for the team lead with five rebounds per game. She's also averaging 8.3 points per game, which is third for UM.

The x-factors in this one could be Manitoba's versatile crop of forwards, which along with Agar includes third-years Emerson Martin (9.8 points per game) and Emily Johnson (8.1 points per game), and rookies Brynn Endicott and Ayva Khan (second on the team in threes, at seven). Endicott is coming off of a career-high nine points in a thrilling 91-82 loss to Regina, while Martin, Johnson,  and Khan all have the potential to impact the game in different ways. 



RECORD WATCH 
-Lauren Bartlett's 32.6 minutes per game is the most in career history. Her three-point field goal percentage is also the best all-time, at 43.1, and she's in the top five in turnover to assist ratio (1.4), steals per game (2.6) and assists per game (4.3).
-Emily Johnson's field goal percentage of 49.4 is third all-time in program history. 
-Autumn Agar's 0.5 blocks per game is tied for the third best in career history. 


Men's preview
The Bisons are off to a 5-1 start for the second consecutive season, and are one of just two teams in the conference with a single loss, the other being Brandon, at 7-1.

The Huskies -- who advanced to the national final a year ago -- are 1-5, with injuries playing a major factor in their start to the campaign. They've been playing without former All-Rookie and CEBL Draft pick Chan De Ciman due to a lower body injury and will also be without impact forward Kessler Bishop (second on the team in points per game, at 15, and rebounds at seven) due to an upper body injury. 

With this in mind, rebounding and overall play in the paint will be a story to follow in this one. The two teams are sixth and ninth in rebounds per game, at 44.2 and 42.5 and will need a combined effort for across their lineups. The Huskies are led by 6'7" fifth-year Maxwell Amoafo, whose ten boards per game are sixth in the conference. He's also coming off of a 17-rebound showing against Brandon from last Saturday. Manitoba has been led by 6'8" fifth-year Isaac Miller-Jose's 6.5 rebounds per game, while Elijah Lostracco and Cieran O'Hara both have at least 5.5 per game. Miller-Jose is also second in the conference with 1.8 blocks per game, creating an enticing matchup inside against Amoafo. 

Offensively, Saskatchewan's catalyst has been 6'3" CEBL Draft pick Alexander Dewar, whose 20 points per game is tied for seventh in Canada West. The Bisons have gotten 18.8 points per game from Lostracco, who is also in the top ten in threes (16). Defensively, Lostracoo, guard Mason Kraus and company will look to create points off of turnovers. The Bisons have three players in the top 25 in steals per game (Kraus, Obasoto, Miller-Jose), while seven different players have at least five steals. 



RECORD WATCH 
-Isaac Miller-Jose is nine blocks away from second in program history. He's currently at 54. His 1.8 blocks per game is also fifth in single-season history. 
-Mason Kraus' 2.2 steals per game is currently tied for fifth all-time in single-season history. 
-Rookie of the Year contender Simon Hildebrandt's free throw percentage of 87.9 is currently the fifth-best in single season history.