VANCOUVER – The Canada West semifinals will soon be upon us and the #5 ranked UBC Thunderbirds' quest for a Canada West championship and a berth in the 2023 U SPORTS Nationals are both very much in play. Kevin Hanson's squad rattled off impressive victories last weekend in Edmonton against Mount Royal (103-87) and Alberta (76-65) and are now setting their sights on another huge rival – The #1 ranked Victoria Vikes. Tomorrow night on the Island, the 'Birds and VIkes will meet for a third time in a span of two weeks, only this time the stakes are even higher. A win for the blue and gold in a single-elimination semifinal clash, and they officially punch their ticket to Nationals while also ensuring a championship battle with either #2 ranked Manitoba or #3 ranked Winnipeg next week. A loss wouldn't completely eliminate their hopes for a berth at Nationals, but would certainly muddy the waters even further on what has been an incredibly competitive 2022-23 Canada West season.
 
For much of the past two months, the UBC Thunderbirds have been trending skyward. They ended their regular season on a 9-2 run and added two more wins to that run last weekend. For weeks now, Kevin Hanson has been speaking about his team's positive mindset, depth and leadership – all of which have paid dividends on the scoreboard amidst some travel, illness, and general playoff adversity. "We feel the team is in a good place right now. Being on the road last week really brought the team together," said Kevin Hanson. "We had a couple of players with some health issues that prevented them from playing but the team really came together and played well."


 
Despite the absence of top scorer James Woods on Friday, and sharpshooter Sukhman Sandhu Saturday, the UBC Thunderbirds stymied the University of Alberta, holding them to just nine field goals and 27 total points in the second half.
 
Fresh off an injury of his own, UBC captain Brian Wallack was a major catalyst at both ends of the floor averaging 24.5 points and 14.5 rebounds during the two victories. Not to be outdone was Tobi Akinkunmi who took full advantage of his minutes and averaged 21 points and hit seven of his 10 three-point shots. "It was great to have Brian back for the weekend," added Kevin Hanson. "He had missed three-and-a-half weeks so we weren't quite sure what to expect. He played very well and brought a quiet confidence to our team. He is a real competitor and we were very happy with how he played. Tobi was also a force. His confidence continues to grow and he continues to improve. He is bringing the defensive energy that we need and has certainly been a big part of success over the past couple of months."
 
While the UBC Thunderbirds' confidence is high, they're well aware of the challenge that awaits them this weekend. The Victoria Vikes are the reigning Canada West champs and they finished the 2022-23 campaign with the league's best RPI. They took care of the #9 seeded Regina Cougars 88-70 at home last Saturday in their quarterfinal matchup. Dating back to November 25^th, the Vikes have only lost once and have gone 14-1. Two of those victories came against UBC during a home-and-home stretch that began at Point Grey on February 9^th and wrapped up in Victoria on February 11^th. Victoria edged the 'Birds 90-82 in Game 1 and needed overtime in Game 2 to escape with the 94-92 win. The rivalry with Victoria needs no introduction, and the long-time head coach of the UBC Thunderbirds has no doubt that his group will be "Motivated and ready to play." '


 
One of the biggest X-factors this weekend for UBC? Health. "We are hoping to have a full squad of healthy players ready to go this weekend," concluded Hanson. "Every team is a little banged up at this time of the year and we have certainly had our share."
 
Tip-off Friday goes at 7:00 pm from CARSA Performance Gym. You can catch all of the action live on Canada West TV.