VANCOUVER – Before they can start thinking about their upcoming playoff series against Alberta, the No. 1-ranked UBC Thunderbirds (16-1) must face a hungry Trinity Western (9-8) squad that will be looking to clinch the final playoff spot this weekend. The T-Birds have already clinched home court advantage throughout the conference playoffs, but the Spartans still need a win or Victoria and Lethbridge losses to make the postseason. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Saturday night.

Following this weekend's season finale, the T-Birds have a bye weekend before hosting the Alberta Golden Bears in the CW Quarterfinals. That best-of-three series is scheduled for February 25-27 at War Memorial Gym.  Tip-off is 7 p.m. each night with the game on February 27 an 'if-necessary' contest.

A look at the Thunderbirds
The T-Birds had been struggling early in games for the past few weeks, often relying on second half surges to down their opponents and preserve their CIS number one ranking. They changed that trend in a big way on Saturday against Victoria however, outscoring the Vikes 30-2 in the first quarter en route to a resounding 49-point win.  That performance, combined with a loss from previous #1 Carleton, restored UBC to the top of the CIS top 10 and marks the fifth time UBC has topped the poll this year.

UBC's top-ranked defence was on full display against Victoria, as the 'Birds held the Vikes to 17.6 per cent shooting. Victoria's 41 points on the night was the lowest total this season by a Canada West men's basketball team. UBC only gives up 67.2 points on average, which is a full four points lower than any other team in the conference.

Josh Whyte has done it all for UBC this year, leading the team with 18.8 points, 4.5 assists and 2.5 steals-per-game, and coming in second with an impressive .530 field goal percentage from his point guard position. He is top-six in the conference in all those categories, and also ranks second in the Canada West with a 1.9 assist-turnover ratio.

Blain LaBranche starts in the other guard slot, and is second on the team with 14.3 points-per-game. Kyle Watson and Kamar Burke shoulder much of the workload in the post, combining for 13 rebounds and 16.5 points-per-game.

A look at the Spartans
A playoff spot looked like a sure thing for the Spartans two weeks ago, but after a loss to the 3-15 Thompson Rivers WolfPack and two more to the Fraser Valley Cascades, they sit at 9-8 on the year and need a win against the nation's best team to guarantee a postseason berth.

If the Spartans lose and Victoria wins, the teams will finish tied at 9-9 with the head-to-head series split at one win each, but the Vikes would take the playoff spot based on their record within the division.  Lehtbridge, however, could complicate the issue by also winning their regular season finale over no. 5 Calgary which would then require a complicated three-way tiebreak.  Needless to say, a Spartan win on Saturday eliminates all of these alternative scenarios.

A lot has changed since the Spartans lost 71-44 to the T-Birds in the first game of the season. They now have the league's fifth-best offence, averaging 78.3 points-per-game. They are also the second-best rebounding squad in the conference, with a margin of +9.3.

Reigning CIS player of the year Jacob Doerksen has a lot to do with those numbers. He leads the offence with 20.1 points-per-game, and is second on the team with 7.5 rebounds-per-game. Tyrell Mara leads the Spartans on the glass with 8.6 rebounds-per-game.

Senior's Night - Saturday, February 13
On Saturday evening, the UBC Thunderbirds will honour a pair of outstanding fifth-year graduating seniors in guard Blain LaBranche and forward Kyle Watson.

LaBranche is having a career year this season, his third in the Blue and Gold, and has solidified himself as one of the purest shooters in the conference.  He leads the T-Birds in three-point shooting, making good on 44.6% (29-of-65) of his long range attempts.  LaBranche also ranks second on the team in scoring with 14.3 points-per-game and is chipping in 2.6 boards and 2.2 assists-per-game while playing a career-high 22.8 minutes per game. Despite missing some time earlier in the season due to an injury, LaBranche has started all 12 games in which he has dressed.

Watson is also having a career year with the 'Birds, his third since transferring from Langara College. A standout at McMath Secondary in Richmond, he leads the team in field goal percentage converting on 55.8% of his shots which ranks him third in the Canada West. An energetic and vocal leader both on and off the floor, Watson is averaging a career-high 5.8 boards per game and has hauled down an impressive 41 offensive rebounds to lead all T-Birds in that category.  Playing more than 20 minutes per game for the first time in his UBC career, Watson is also contributing on offence with a solid 8.4 points-per-game.

Get into the 2010 Games
Come out this weekend for your chance to win tickets and "Get into the 2010 Games."

Road Closures on UBC Campus
The University is experiencing a number of road closures as a host site (Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre) for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  Access to campus from 16th Avenue is not available from February 4-24. Access to campus via 10th/University Avenue or 4th Avenue is available without restrictions.  Parking on campus will be very busy during this time.  North Parkade (adjacent to Gage Residence) is likely the best place to find parking on campus for T-Bird games at War Memorial Gym. Public transportation will also be busy but would be a viable alternative during this period of road closures. For complete details on UBC's road restrictions please see the Road Restrictions Maps.