VANCOUVER – As the final week of Canada West regular season play approaches, there is still plenty of uncertainty and drama surrounding the playoff picture. The UBC Thunderbirds (13-5) hold the longest active winning streak (nine) in Canada West and are knocking on the door of the top four standings. The 'Birds head into the weekend ranked fifth, but hold an identical record with the fourth placed University of Alberta Golden Bears. Currently though, the Golden Bears hold the tie-breaker with a higher RPI percentage, and the big key for UBC is to simply keep winning. The rest is out of their control.
 
This weekend presents an equally thrilling and unique challenge for Kevin Hanson's crew as they clash with their island rivals from Victoria (15-3) in a home-and-home set which begins Thursday night (7:00 pm) at War Memorial Gym.


 
Last weekend at home, UBC secured their eighth and ninth straight victories after completing a sweep of the Fraser Valley Cascades. Friday's result was a dominant 92-68 victory, followed by a 93-83 triumph the next night. For much of 2023, Kevin Hansson has been preaching a playoff minset to his players, and the message has clearly registered.
 
"We are starting to get in to a positive vibe and with that comes confidence.  It has been great to see different guys stepping up and contributing in big ways.  Winning on Seniors night always recharges a team and that is very positive for us at this time of the year," reflected Kevin Hanson after his latest winning weekend. "We have been talking for a long time about how we needed to treat each weekend like a playoff series.  We think the players have changed their mindsets going in to each individual game."
 
Saturday's victory over UFV was especially noteworthy for fifth-year forward Sukhman Sandhu. The Surrey, B.C. product produced a season-best 26 points and was 4/8 from beyond the arc. According to the head coach, Sandhu's offensive surge came as a result of strong defense. "Sukhman has been playing really well offensively but it is his defense that has really improved.  It was something he needed to focus on and improve and with that changed mindset, he has been more of a complete player.  He is now getting in to a defensive stance, rebounding better, and blocking shots. He has the ability to make a huge impact in any game."
 
The blue and gold have come a long way since January 6^th when their record was 4-5 after a loss in Brandon. But even despite a 9-0 run since then, Kevin Hanson isn't dwelling in winning streaks. It's been a day-by-day approach that has made a big difference in 2023. We haven't talked about any runs and nor have we dwelled on the first part of the season.  All we have tried to do is focus on improving," said Kevin Hanson. "We made a decision to select a few things on the defensive side and few things on the offensive side to focus on and to see if would play better basketball if we improved on those things. So far, that has been working for us so we will continue with that approach."


 
The 2022 Canada West champion Victoria Vikes have their sights set on a championship repeat. They currently sit second in the Canada West standings, one win shy of top-ranked Manitoba. They lack no shortage of motivation heading into this doubleheader weekend. "The UVIC weekend is always one that is highlighted at the beginning of every year," concluded Hanson. "We know the game in Victoria is already sold out and we are expecting a large crowd at UBC. The teams have a tendency to bring the best out of each other and it is great preparation for both teams as we head in to playoffs next weekend."
 
The first game of the home-and-home goes Thursday night at 7:00 pm from War Memorial Gym at UBC. The two teams then clash again Saturday night on the Island in a 7:00 pm rematch. Tickets for Thursday can be secured HERE. You can also watch live on Canada West TV.