The Matchup

In games that could go a long way to defining the UBC Thunderbirds (9-1) 2016-17 regular season, the 'Birds play host to the Canada West leading Alberta Golden Bears (11-1) at War Memorial Gym.
 
The games tip off Friday, January 13th at 8:00pm PST and Saturday, January 14th at 7:00pm PST.


 
The two teams haven't met since early in November of 2015 when they split a weekend series at UBC to open their 2015-16 Canada West seasons.
 
The rivalry is one of the most balanced in all of U Sports. Dating back to 1962 UBC holds a slight 90-89 winning record over the Golden Bears.
 

Last Action

 
UBC was able to face down adversity for the first time in Canada West play in their last series versus Saskatchewan. The 'Birds looked flat in their Friday night game and dropped a 95-78 decision. Saturday was a much different UBC team, as they dominated the 2nd and 3rd quarters before holding off the late charging Huskies in an 83-74 victory.
 
The Golden Bears are coming off a hard fought split against the Calgary Dinos that saw them score a game winning bucket in the final seconds for an 81-80 win. This after suffering a 69-60 defeat the previous evening.
 

By the Numbers

 
11 – the number of consecutive games that UBC forward Conor Morgan has been the squad's leading scorer.
 
37.0 – UBC's shooting percentage from three-point range in their bounce-back win versus Saskatchewan.
 

Players To Watch

 
Jordan Jensen-Whyte (#6, G) –  'JJW' did a lot of the dirty work (8 reb, 6 ast.) in UBC's much needed a win at Saskatchewan. When Jensen-Whyte is offering a steady defensive hand to the dynamic scoring of Morgan, the 'Birds work with near unstoppable efficiency.


 
Luka Zaharijevic (#15, F) – 8 points in 18 minutes off the bench is solid production for the big post player. It will be a boost for UBC if he replicates that performance against Alberta.