With files from UVic sports information
VICTORIA - A battle for fifth spot in the Canada West standings ensues Friday and Saturday night when the UBC Thunderbirds and University of VIctoria Vikes women meet at McKinnon Gymnasium.
The Vikes women are 9-1 at home while the Thunderbirds are 7-3 on the road - both teams have 15-7 records overall and are tied for fifth spot in the Canada West. On Friday night, proceeds from the game will go toward the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation as part of the Vikes Shoot For A Cure initiative. On Saturday, the Vikes honour graduating seniors Kayla Dykstra, Vanessa Forstbauer and Jane Anholt.
UBC has performed admirably in the third quarter, outscoring their opponents 409-312 this season in that period. Top Thunderbirds players include
Zara Huntley, who leads the team averaging 12.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game along with a Canada West best 34 blocks, and
Alex Vieweg, who is also having a strong season, with 12.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
Devan Lisson is a three-point threat with 42 treys on the season, shooting 37.5 per cent from beyond the arc. She also leads UBC with 84 assists and 47 steals.
While the difference between fifth and sixth spot may not seem significant, it carries even more weight in 2011 with an automatic spot in a CIS regional tournament going to the fifth-place finisher in the Canada West. Therefore while the chance of hosting a home quarter-final series is out of the question for these teams, the weekend games are still vitally important in the long-term.
If UBC or Victoria cannot qualify for nationals through the front door as Canada West conference champions - a difficult feat to accomplish on the road - they could qualify by winning one of three regional tournaments.
The CIS women's basketball national championships are being held this year in Windsor, Ont., March 18-20, with the new regional tournament format determining the final three entries in addition to the four conference champions and host births. There could be an at-large berth into the national championships if Windsor, this year's host, wins the OUA playoff title.
UBC or Victoria can clinch a spot in nationals by winning the Canada West title. If they don't win the Canada West title, they could qualify for nationals through one of three CIS regionals - with the second, third, fourth and fifth place teams in the Canada West conference earning berths into these regional tournaments. Here is the breakdown.
Teams in CIS Final 8 National Championships (March 18-20)
AUS Champion: TBA
Quebec Champion: TBA
OUA Champion: TBA
Canada West Champion: TBA
CIS Final 8 Host: Windsor Lancers
Winner of East Regional: TBA
Winner of Central Regional: TBA
Winner of West Regional: TBA
Regional Tournaments (March 11-12)
East
Host/AUS 2
OUA 3
CWUAA 4 (currently Alberta)
OUA 5
Central
Host/OUA 2
CWUAA 3 (currently Regina)
AUS 3
CWUAA 5 (currently UBC or UVic)
West
Host/CWUAA 2 (currently Winnipeg)
RSEQ 2
OUA 4
At Large Berth: Selected by committee (must have competed in their conference playoffs) - Canada West 6 could qualify this way
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