VANCOUVER - The No. 7-ranked UBC Thunderbirds men's basketball team (12-4) head out to Manitoba this weekend, as they prepare to go up against the Brandon Bobcats (1-15) in a two-game set.
 
The 'Birds and Bobcats will first square off at 6:00 p.m. (PT) on Friday, February 12. The rematch between the two Canada West foes will see them tip off at 4:00 p.m. (PT) on Saturday, February 13. Both games will be played at Brandon's Healthy Living Centre.
 
The T-Birds had a bye last week, and it came at a perfect time, as the week prior might have been one of their most emotionally-charged series of the season.
 
Taking on long-time rivals, the Victoria Vikes, the 'Birds started out with a convincing 79-51 win. The first quarter was relatively even, and Victoria actually took a 19-16 lead into the break. Coming out into the second frame, though, the T-Birds took over, outscoring the Vikes 20-7 in the quarter. The T-Birds continued to show their depth of scoring throughout the course of the game, as four players got into double digits.
 
The second half, in which the 'Birds outscored the VIkes 43-25 really showed the difference between the two B.C.-based clubs. UBC shot 50.0% from the field, including a ridiculous 54.5% from beyond the arc. The T-Birds also flashed some high-calibre, up-tempo defending, as they held Victoria to a completion rate of just 35.0% overall, and an 0-for-11 mark from three-point land.
 
If anything, UBC was even better in the second game against Victoria, playing effective offensive basketball that saw them knock down 9-of-13 attempts from distance, and 33-of-60 shots overall. Again, the 'Birds did well to hold Victoria to just 35.6% shooting – combined with their performance from the previous night, Victoria's showing speaks highly of UBC's defending, as the Vikes had made an average of 41.5% of their shots coming into the contest.
 
Where as the 'Birds are sitting comfortably at second in the Pioneer Division behind the Calgary Dinos, Brandon is just fighting to stay out of the basement.
 
As of now, Brandon has won just a single game this season, a 98-87 decision that came over the Trinity Western Spartans, with whom the Bobcats are jockeying with for last place in the division and conference.
 
Brandon's offense wouldn't necessarily put them at the bottom of the conference, as their 71.9 points-per-game is good for 12th in the 17-team Canada West. Defending is what gets them into trouble, as their 83.9 points-against-per-game is the second highest average in the league (Trinity Western – 90.3).  At -8 points-per-game, Brandon's scoring margin is also good for second-last in the league, and provides a sharp contrast to UBC's mark of +9.9.

UBC Men's Basketball's stretch run to March is on, as the 'Birds prepare to host the CIS Men's Basketball Final 8, which will see the absolute best basketball players in Canada make their way to the UBC campus.

Get your tournament packages and single tickets now, as the national championship is set to take place from March 17-20 at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.