With files from UVic Sports Information
VICTORIA - The two hottest teams in the Canada West square-off on the final weekend of the regular season when the no. 2 CIS-ranked UBC Thunderbirds visit the University of Victoria Vikes February 18 and 19 at McKinnon Gymnasium.
The Vikes men (15-7) need just one win to clinch home-floor advantage for their best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series against the Alberta Golden Bears. UBC (20-2) needs just one win to clinch the Canada West regular season title and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Thunderbirds have won 16 straight games, while the Vikes are the second hottest team in the conference on an eight-game winning streak.
UVic, ranked no. 11 in the most recent CIS national coaches poll, will honour Gerald Kazanowski on Saturday Feb. 19 at the halftime, retiring his No. 24 jersey. On Friday night, proceeds from the game will go to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation as part of the Shoot For A Cure fund-raising initiative. The Vikes will also be hosting a Cancer Beatdown Car Smash on Feb. 17 to raise funds.
The Vikes are 6-4 at home this season. Four Vikes graduating seniors - Marco Dolcetti, Jeff Cullen, Jeff Spoor and Wendell Thomas - will be honoured Saturday night prior to the game. Ryan MacKinnon is averaging 17.1 points per game for UVic and is battling Jamelle Barrett of Saskatchewan for the Canada West steals title this season - Barrett has 55 and MacKinnon 53 entering the final two games of the season. Victoria boasts the top defence in the Canada West, allowing just 69.7 points per game entering the weekend.
UBC will test the Vikes defence, averaging 94.9 points per game this season. The Thunderbirds have lost just once on the road and are led by
Josh Whyte, who averages 18 points per game along with 4.2 rebounds per contest. Whyte is lethal from three-point range with a 46.7 per cent success rate, good for 129 of his 396 points this season.
Brent Malish and
Kamar Burke are rebounding machines, while
Alex Murphy has 111 assists in a versatile backcourt.
Murphy is also on pace to set the Canada West career mark in games played, as he currently sits tied for first with former T-Birds Bryson Kool and Matt Rachar at 109 league contests. Murphy, who has yet to miss a game in his five-year T-Bird career, will have the chance to reach 111 league games assuming he plays in both games this weekend.
Saturday night's game will also provide fans with an opportunity to help the Easter Seals with 50/50 draw proceeds going to the Team Care Bears group.
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