VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds locked up top spot in the Pacific Division with a split last weekend at Fraser Valley, and now have a chance to play spoiler against a division rival looking to fight its way into the playoffs in their final regular season series.
The T-Birds wrap things up against the Victoria Vikes, first at War Memorial Gym this Friday at 6 p.m., and then in Victoria next Friday, February 17 also at 6 p.m.
Both games will be webcast (with live online statistics) on
CanadaWest.tv
GAME TIMES
Fri., Feb. 10 - Victoria at No. 4 UBC (6 p.m. at War Memorial Gymnasium, Vancouver)
Sat., Feb. 17 - No. 4 UBC at Victoria (6 p.m. at McKinnon Gymnasium, Victoria)
No. 4 UBC Thunderbirds
2011-12 conference record: 13-3 (1st, Pacific Division)
Last Week: L 65-57, W 60-58 at Fraser Valley
Streak: 1 win
Despite literally leaving it to the last second, the T-Birds managed to clinch the division with a two-point win over the Fraser Valley Cascades in game two of their series last weekend thanks to some clutch free throws from
Zara Huntley. First she hit two shots from the line to tie the game up with 35 seconds left, then after she grabbed a defensive rebound she was on the line again as time expired, hitting two more free throws for the win.
The scores and shooting percentages were low, which was to be expected in a battle of two of the top defences in the Canada West. UBC's scoring depth prevailed in game two, as four players reached double digits despite nobody really having a strong individual game offensively. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the win was UBC overcoming a second straight 20-turnover performance to grab the win. Their turnover margin was -11 in game two, and while a win is a win, that will have to be cleaned up if they want to make a deep playoff run.
Kris Young continues to lead the team in scoring as she has all year, averaging 15.3 points per game, though Huntley has been cutting the gap lately. The fifth-year forward is now scoring just under 14 points per game while leading the league in blocked shots leading the team with 6.3 rebounds per game.
Alex Vieweg has been a jack of all trades for the 'Birds this year, chipping in 12.6 points on super efficient shooting while also making big contributions on the glass and in the steals department.
Victoria Vikes
2011-12 conference record: 8-8 (3rd, Pacific Division)
Last Week: W 74-46, W 86-61 at UBC Okanagan
Streak: 3 wins
The Vikes have recovered from their five-game losing streak to start 2012 with three straight wins, but it could end up being too little too late. Although they sit third in the division right now, they are just a half game up on fourth-place Trinity Western and one game up on fifth-place Thompson Rivers.
TRU plays 2-14 UBC Okanagan to finish off their schedule, giving them a great chance to leap over the Vikes into third place and leave them hoping for a wildcard berth to the playoffs. If the Spartans beat Fraser Valley in their final game they could also jump in front of the Vikes and leave them without a hope for the playoffs.
Of course this can all be avoided with a strong showing against UBC. Just one win would secure a post-season spot. The Vikes have been lighting it up offensively over their past three games, and although team scoring leader Debbie Yeboah has had a lot to do with that, they have also had breakout performances from some unlikely sources in recent games.
Cassandra Goodis poured in 17 three games ago against Manitoba, easily topping her season average of 10 points. Allison Mulock scored 16 in game one against UBC Okanagan to smash her season average of 3.8, and Natalie Janssens hit eight of nine shots in game two against UBC Okanagan to score 17 points despite being the lowest average scorer on the team with 2.9 points per game.
If the Vikes can get by the 'Birds with some more clutch performances, they could be a sneaky-dangerous playoff team with their shooters heating up at the right time.
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