VANCOUVER – After a dramatic comeback victory over the Alberta Pandas in their playoff opener, the UBC Thunderbirds are now just one step away from booking their spot in the Canada West Final – and with it, earning a trip to the U SPORTS Final 8 in Laval.
Standing in the way are the Regina Cougars, a formidable opponent who ended the regular season with a 17-3 record and are ranked No. 4 in the country. The Cougars handled the UBC Okanagan Heat in a blowout 74-48 win in their quarterfinal matchup, and now must head on the road to take on the lone remaining Pacific Division team in Vancouver.
These two teams faced off in the postseason last year, with the Thunderbirds prevailing in the Canada West Quarterfinals inside War Memorial Gym. In that game,
Dave Taylor patrolled the Regina sideline. Now, he's at the helm of the Thunderbirds, and hopes his team can continue their momentum following their win on Sunday.
"Aside from the emotion of it all, I was happy with how we played in the second half," reflected Taylor. "We made some mistakes in the second quarter and I just thought that we played more of our game in the second half. That's what we have to focus on this time of year – make sure you're doing the right things and you have to do it a lot."
UBC's
Olivia Weekes earned the Canada West Player of the Week award following another fine performance against the Pandas. The fifth-year star earned her ninth double-double of the season (all in her last 13 games), recording 21 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high six steals.
Jaeli Ibbetson was also a key offensive contributor as she had 15 points and six rebounds while shooting 4-6 from the field and 6-7 from the free throw line. She's now scored 15 or more in three of the last four games, after only reaching that mark once this season in Canada West play before then.
While the Thunderbirds committed 29 turnovers, they managed to force 24 themselves, and held Alberta to 34% shooting from the field, and just 18% in the fourth quarter.
When it comes to the opposition, the Cougars at one point boasted a 15-0 record in conference play, before dropping a game to Alberta and then two to Saskatchewan near the end of the regular season. Cara Misskey (14.9 points per game) and Jade Belmore (14.7) lead the way offensively, with Misskey also leading Canada West in assists (5.7 per game).
"They're very good, they want to play fast and play up and down," said Taylor. "They're great in transition with the dynamic backcourt of Belmore and Misskey which will give you problems. A lot of the stuff that Alberta did with their guards attacking us and trying to turn us over, Regina will be doing as well…we're going to have to deal with their pace and their transition."
On the court, these are two teams who are not too familiar with each other, having only faced off in the regular season or playoffs three times since 2019, including last year's postseason battle.
Despite being lower in the U SPORTS rankings, the T-Birds are coming into the weekend hot, having won 12 games in a row dating back to the end of November. They are 11-1 overall at home this season and 30-5 at home over the last three years (across both regular season and playoffs).
"If you're going to be in these games, you want to set yourself up so you're playing at home," added Taylor. "Familiarity, comfort, all that stuff. You hope it's one more little edge, and then obviously you have to play well."
CLICK HERE for tickets to Friday's semifinal matchup. The high-stakes game begins at 6:00 p.m. (PT) inside War Memorial Gym.
