This week's UFV-TWU basketball games will be played without spectators, as previously announced on Jan. 10.

Friday, Jan. 21: Cascades (4-3, 3rd in West Division) vs. TWU Spartans (2-7, T-5th in West Division), 6 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 22: Cascades vs. Spartans, 4 p.m.
UFV Athletic Centre
Webcast: CanadaWest.tv presented by Co-op

THE MATCH-UP

In this space last week, we noted that the Cascades and Spartans men's teams tend to play closely contested games year in and year out, regardless of what the teams' win-loss records might be. That certainly came to fruition last Thursday, as UFV outlasted TWU 99-95 in overtime.

The Cascades aim to tighten their grip on third place in the West Division at the expense of their local rivals this week, while the Spartans – coming off a pair of weekend wins over Thompson Rivers – look to climb further.

RECENT FORM

The Cascades' performance vs. TWU last week was an emotional rollercoaster – after falling behind 14-2 early, they rallied to build a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter, only to watch the Spartans battle back to force OT. UFV pulled out the win in the extra session in what was a strong showcase of their depth – their bench outscored the Spartans' bench 52-9.

Trinity Western bounced back from the UFV loss to knock off TRU 78-73 last Friday and 94-78 on Saturday. It marked the Spartans' first victory in conference play in nearly four years – their last CW win had been Feb. 2, 2018 when they topped MacEwan 97-88.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Zubair Seyed, UFV – The third-year guard from Cambridge, Ont. had a breakout game last Thursday vs. the Spartans, racking up 27 points and 10 rebounds, highlighted by the tie-breaking triple late in overtime. Seyed brings a rare combination of perimeter shooting, slashing and playmaking ability, and he'll look to continue his strong play this week.

Mason Bourcier, TWU – The former UBC Thunderbird helped spark the Spartan comeback last Thursday, finishing with 23 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Bourcier leads Canada West in assists, averaging 6.9 per game, and the Cascades will look to limit his playmaking in this week's rematches.

QUOTABLE

"Intense game. We hadn't played in almost two months, and that first quarter was clear evidence of that. But after we got that out of the way, it was definitely a game to remember. Second OT of the year." – Cascades guard Jordyn Sekhon, reflecting on his team's performance vs. TWU last week

"It's a new team . . . and we're slowly starting to grow together. I didn't understand until a few years into my career how to control those leads. Everyone's starting to pick up on it. It's a little bit of experience, knowing that when the other team goes on a run, not to stress, not to get uptight, but stick to your game plan and what was working in the first place." – Sekhon, on what his team needs to do better to preserve fourth-quarter leads

"They (the Spartans) probably have a bit of extra confidence after a weekend sweep over TRU. We have to control their pace – we let them get out early (in transition) last time. Controlling the tempo is 90 per cent of it. We want to make sure the game is played at our pace." – Sekhon, on what he expects from the Spartans in this week's rematches