Friday, Jan. 25: Cascades (11-5, T-5th in Canada West) vs. No. 3 Calgary Dinos (16-0, 1st in Canada West), 8 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 26: Cascades vs. Dinos, 7 p.m.
Envision Financial Athletic Centre
Webcast: CanadaWest.tv

The Cascades couldn't ask for a tougher test this weekend. The Calgary Dinos are the reigning U SPORTS national champions, and they're in the midst of an epic title defence. They're currently undefeated, hold sole possession of first place in Canada West, and are ranked No. 3 in the nation. 2018 national championship MVP David Kapinga and All-Canadian Mambi Diawara lead a seasoned, skilled squad.

Head coach Adam Friesen's charges, meanwhile, are well-rested coming off a productive bye week which saw them lock up a playoff berth by virtue of out-of-town results. They're in the midst of a strong season in their own right, having recently reeled off a 10-game win streak.

Add it all up, and it's an outstanding match-up that is sure to be a treat for local basketball fans.

"They're a veteran group that knows how to play together," Friesen said of the Dinos. "All the experience that group of players has accumulated over the years, they've seen everything.

"They're the top team in Canada West, and we know that they're talented and that it's going to be incredibly hard to pull off a victory. But we also know it's a great time to be playing a team like Calgary, with playoffs just around the corner. We're going to give it our best shot, and it's only going to make us better at the end of the day."

Players to watch: Cascades sophomore point guard Vick Toor was the Canada West men's second star of the week following the team's last game action, Jan. 11-12 at UVic. The Kent, Wash. product posted double-doubles both nights against the Vikes, racking up season highs for points (21) and rebounds (14) in Friday's 98-94 win and posting 17 points and 11 boards in Saturday's 78-75 loss which snapped UFV's 10-game win streak. Toor is averaging 9.0 points and a team-best 3.7 assists per game this season. The Dinos, meanwhile, have a local product in Chilliwack's Lucas Mannes who will be making a homecoming to the Fraser Valley. The fifth-year guard out of G.W. Graham Secondary is fifth in team scoring (9.7 points per game) and shoots 33.3 per cent from beyond the arc.

Cascades Hall of Fame, Bell Let's Talk events highlight game nights

Running in conjunction with this weekend's home games are a range of special events.

Cascades Hall of Fame Night

The 2019 class of Cascades Hall of Famers will be inducted in a ceremony on Friday at halftime of the men's basketball game. This year's class features athletes Derek Fletcher (men's volleyball) and Andrea Wigman (women's soccer), builder Skip Bassford, and the 1999-2000 national championship-winning men's basketball team. For more information on this year's Hall of Famers, click here.

UFV Alumni Night

Friday is also UFV Alumni Night. The UFV Alumni Association is offering 50 free ticket packages (featuring game admission, pizza, popcorn, and soft drink) to alumni on a first-come, first-serve basis. Register online at http://bit.ly/UFVAlumniNight.

Bell Let's Talk

Saturday's basketball games and Sunday's wrestling tournament will promote Bell Let's Talk 2019. Bell Let's Talk Day, in support of mental health, is Jan. 30, and Bell will donate 5¢ towards mental health initiatives in Canada for every applicable text, call, tweet, social media video view, and use of the Bell Let's Talk Facebook frame or Snapchat filter. More information on Bell Let's Talk Day can be found here.