VANCOUVER - Following a split with the Alberta Pandas last weekend, UBC (3-3) returns home for three straight weekends looking to push their record over .500 for the first time this season. They begin their homestand with games against the Winnipeg Wesmen this weekend.
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A look at the Thunderbirds
Since losing both games to Saskatchewan on opening weekend, the T-Birds have had plenty to be optimistic about. They are 3-1 in the last two weeks, bringing their record back up to .500, and they are coming off a convincing win over a previously unbeaten Alberta team. After being edged out by three points in game one against Alberta, the 'Birds came back to take a 13-point win in game two, with rookie
Kris Young's 23 points leading the way.
Besides the obvious benefit of getting that kind of production from Young in her first game as a starter in the CIS, the 'Birds can also take comfort in the fact that she was the fifth different T-Bird in six games this season to lead the team in scoring.
Zara Huntley,
Devan Lisson,
Lia St. Pierre and
Alex Vieweg are the other four, and they all have the kind of talent to do it on any given night. Huntley, Lisson and St. Pierre all average between 10 and 11.5 points-per-game to lead the team, while Vieweg is fourth at 8.7. With Young's breakout game last week, the T-Birds now have five serious scoring threats to deal with, which will be important this week when they go up against Winnipeg's second-ranked defence that has allowed just over 51 points on average this year.
In addition to leading the team in scoring, Huntley also averages six rebounds-per-game to lead her side in that category. Vieweg isn't far behind at 5.7 rebounds-per-game.
A look at the Wesmen
The Wesmen are off to a hot start at 3-0, but their opponents from those three games are a combined 1-10 on the year, making this weekend at UBC their first big test of the season. Their defence got them through a pair of close games last weekend against Calgary, and only the undefeated Regina Cougars are allowing less points than the Wesmen this year.
Winnipeg's offence has struggled though, as their team field goal percentage of .330 is third-worst in the conference. Caitlin Gooch leads the team with 16 points-per-game, but she has taken almost a quarter of the team's shots this season and is shooting just .304 from the field. Stephanie Kleysen has faired better with a .500 field goal percentage to go along with 12 points-per-game, and she has also been a terror on the glass, leading the conference with 12.3 rebounds-per-game. Most of those have been at the offensive end of the court, giving her side plenty of second-chance opportunities, which have been important for an offence still looking for its rhythm.
Kleysen is also a big part of the Wesmen's conference-leading shot blocking effort, averaging 1.3 blocks-per-game, and is tied for the team steals lead. Her only problem has been taking care of the ball, as she is averaging almost five turnovers through three games.
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