The Matchup 

After finding success on the road two weeks ago to open the 2016-17 CIS season, the UBC Thunderbirds women's basketball team (2-0) will return to the War Memorial Gym this weekend for their season home-openers. The 'Birds will face the Manitoba Bisons (1-3) on Friday, November 16 at 6:00pm (PT) and again on Saturday, November 17 at 5:00pm (PT).

With UBC playing their first CIS game on home court and the Bisons fresh of their first win of the season, this weekend's games are sure to be hard fought. 

UBC is 24-6 all time versus Manitoba (cishoops.ca).
 

Last Action 

UBC opened their season with a dominant pair of wins over Thompson Rivers. Strong offence helped the T-Birds secure double-digit leads in both games and put up consistent numbers through four quarters.



Despite securing their first win of the season last Saturday against Thompson Rivers, The Bisons have had an inauspicious start to the year. Manitoba logged three consecutive losses to open their regular season, but started to put up higher point totals last weekend against TRU. 
 

By the Numbers 

17 – UBC's total steals per game. An impressive total that has them ranked No. 1 in U Sports, though maintaining that average beyond two games will be difficult.

10 – Number of UBC players who logged points in each of the team's previous two games. Depth is certainly a factor in the Thunderbirds early success. 
 

Players to Watch 

Maddison Penn (#15, G) – The Virginia Tech transfer and Australian native is making her presence felt in the early part of the season. She led her team in both their matchups against TRU, recording 31 points. 

Kara Spotton (#8, F) – The veteran Thundebrird had a stellar opening weekend, logging 24 points over two games. She also consistently put up double-digit totals throughout the pre-season. 
 

Coach's Take

UBC head coach Deb Huband is excited to see her team play their first U Sports home games, and feels that they are capable of having a strong season.



"We're looking forward to getting going after a week long break. We travelled a lot in the pre season, so it was nice to have a pause. We're eager to get started and have our home openers this weekend. We have all engines revving," she said.
 
"We're a young team, and I think we had a significant exhibition series [that provided] opportunities to start developing chemistry on the court. We played a pretty tough schedule, and that will benefit us in the long run. We're hoping to continue the process of improving week to week and gaining experience for our veterans and new comers. I'm optimistic about our potential this year."