VANCOUVER - UBC Thunderbirds head coach
Kevin Hanson is on the verge of history as his 8-2 team kicks off the new year with a road trip to Abbotsford for the first time since November 30, 2013 to face the Fraser Valley Cascades (3-5). Game 1 tips off on Friday, January 3 at 8 p.m. PT, with game two going Saturday, January 4 at 7 p.m. PT - both at the Envision Athletic Centre. With 312 conference coaching victories, Hanson is one back of Don Horwood for the most in Canada West men's basketball history, and would surpass the Alberta Golden Bears great with a UBC sweep this weekend.
The T-Birds are riding a six-game win streak into 2020 as they sit in third place atop the Canada West - but have the same number of wins as the second-place Dinos who are undefeated at 8-0. UFV currently occupies the 12th and final playoff spot in the conference at the halfway point of the season.
The two teams last squared off in the Canada West quarter-finals a season ago at War Memorial Gym, when UBC dropped the first game of the best-of-three series before winning two straight in convincing fashion and advancing to the conference semifinal.
Last Action
UBC swept the Lethbridge Pronghorns on home court to close out their 2019 schedule with six straight victories. The 'Birds dominated the Pronghorns on night one - winning 109-86 thanks to a well-balanced offensive output from
Jadon Cohee (23 points),
Manroop Clair (22 points), and
Grant Audu (20 points). All nine T-Birds who took to the floor got on the scoresheet, and UBC scored over 100 points for the third consecutive game. Night two also went the 'Birds' way, as UBC came out on top 88-80 over the Pronghorns after a wild game of momentum swings. Four T-Bird starters finished with over 10 points and Cohee recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists.
The Cascades concluded their calendar year with a pair of narrow losses to the Manitoba Bisons (7-1) in Winnipeg. UFV's Parm Bains and Vick Toor led the way with 23 points apiece in a 93-86 loss in game one, and combined for 29 points in an 80-74 defeat in game two.
Coach's Take
"We're looking forward to starting the second part of the season," said UBC head coach
Kevin Hanson. "It always seems like the December break is a long one, and it's difficult timing to start conference play before school is even back in session...but it does give the team time to focus strictly on basketball."
Hanson knows his team will have to be sharp from the first week of 2020.
"We'll be tested right out of the gates by playing Fraser Valley," said Hanson. "They're a tough team that are capable of putting up a lot of points on the board so our defence will be our focus."
