Thursday, Jan. 13: Cascades (3-3, 4th in West Division) at TWU Spartans (0-6, 7th in West Division), 8 p.m.
Langley Events Centre
Webcast: CanadaWest.tv presented by Co-op

THE MATCH-UP

When the Cascades and Spartans tip off Thursday, it will have been two months to the day since the last time the UFV men's basketball team tasted game action – they've had several games in the interim postponed.

The UFV-TWU rivalry is a heated one – no matter their records, the two programs tend to play closely contested games year in and year out. The Cascades lead Canada West in field goal percentage defence (36.2 per cent), and they'll be tested by the Spartans' dynamic backcourt of Ja'Qualyn Gilbreath and Mason Bourcier.

RECENT FORM

The Cascades' last game action was Nov. 13 at home vs. Thompson Rivers, a game which saw them dominate the fourth quarter, outscoring the WolfPack 31-16 en route to an 81-75 victory.

The Spartans, meanwhile, are still in search of their first conference win of the campaign. Their most recent games, Dec. 3-4 at UBC, saw them drop 78-68 and 102-97 decisions.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Vick Toor, UFV – The Cascades' point guard is in the midst of a remarkable campaign. He's averaging 15.5 points in exceedingly efficient fashion (52.9 per cent shooting from the field, 82.4 per cent from the line), his 5.5 assists per game are tied for third-most in the nation, and he's tied for the U SPORTS lead in steals (3.3 per game). Toor also impacts winning in ways that are uncommon for a 6'0" guard – he's among the Canada West leaders in rebounding (7.8, ninth) and blocks (1.5, T-2nd).

Ja'Qualyn Gilbreath, TWU – The Spartans' senior guard is as explosive a scorer as there is in Canada West. He's leading the conference in scoring, averaging 25.5 points per game, highlighted by a 37-point outburst in the Spartans' most recent game, Dec. 4 vs. UBC.

QUOTABLE

"For me personally, I'm just grateful to play, and everyone else on the team is super-excited. We've had a great week of practice – I think we've prepped well. We're just excited to play." – Vick Toor, on returning to game action after a long break

"I've played both of their backcourt players in previous years, and we know how good they are and what their strengths are. We've prepped for them in practice, and I think we have a solid game plan." ­– Toor, on facing Spartans backcourt standouts Ja'Qualyn Gilbreath and Mason Bourcier

"We always want to win these games. They're 30 minutes down the road, and whenever we play, it doesn't matter what the records are – the teams are trying to win, and the games are usually close. In past years, most of the time it's been a (weekend) split. It's a fun environment, and I think it'll be a good one." – Toor, on the rivalry with the Spartans