This week's UFV-TWU basketball games will be played without spectators, as previously announced on Jan. 10.
Friday, Jan. 21: Cascades (8-1, 2nd in West Division) vs. TWU Spartans (9-1, 1st in West Division), 8 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 22: Cascades vs. Spartans, 6 p.m.
UFV Athletic Centre
Webcast: CanadaWest.tv presented by Co-op
THE MATCH-UP
The stakes for this week's games are identical to last week's Cascades-Spartans clash in Langley – first place in the West Division is on the line. UFV briefly overtook TWU for top spot on the strength of last Thursday's
70-47 victory, which left the teams with matching 8-1 records, with UFV in possession of the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Spartans bounced back with a victory over Thompson Rivers on Saturday to reclaim pole position, though the Cascades do have one game in hand.
RECENT FORM
The Cascades made a statement last Thursday, blowing out the Spartans thanks in large part to a stellar defensive performance, limiting TWU to 22.6 per cent shooting from the field. UFV's win streak stands at six games, and they boast one of the most impressive defensive stat profiles in the nation. They lead Canada West in opponents' field goal percentage (27.6 per cent) and rank second nationally in that department.
The Spartans saw their program-record eight-game win streak come to an end, but they got back on track vs. Thompson Rivers, prevailing decisively by a score of 79-45 while shooting 48.5 per cent.
SHOOT FOR THE CURE
Fans are invited to participate in the Cascades women's basketball team's annual Shoot for the Cure fundraiser in support of breast cancer research, which has moved online. The team's silent auction features items from a variety of local businesses, including Innovative Fitness, Lepp Farm Market, Banter Ice Cream, and the Fraser Valley Bandits, and can be accessed by clicking
here.
Shoot for the Cure is a national U SPORTS women's basketball initiative, and organizers are holding a national online auction fundraiser, headlined by a pair of signed Allen Iverson shoes. Access the national auction by clicking
here.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Natalie Rathler, UFV – The third-year forward from Langley, B.C. is in the midst of a breakout campaign, averaging career-highs in minutes (19.7), points (7.8), rebounds (4.1) and assists (2.3). Rathler also ranks second in Canada West for field goal percentage (55.1), highlighted by a 20-point outburst on Jan. 8 to spark a
75-69 win at UBC Okanagan.
Jayden Gill, TWU – A hometown Abbotsford product out of Bateman Secondary, sophomore guard Gill has been a key contributor for the Spartans, playing more than 30 minutes per game. She ranks eighth in Canada West in assists per game (3.7) to go with 7.0 points and 3.5 boards.
QUOTABLE
"It was a good game to get into the flow of things. It's the first time we've had our full roster together since early November, so it was good to find our flow and play the way we can, especially on the defensive end."
– Cascades forward Deanna Tuchscherer, reflecting on last week's performance vs. TWU
"We take a lot of pride in our defence, and we spend a lot of time working on it in practice. It's the mindset we go in with. We have a lot of gritty players on our team who love to get on the floor for loose balls and who aren't afraid to get hit going for boards. We also communicate well, and that helps us get into the flow."
– Tuchscherer, on her team's defensive prowess this season
"They've got a whole week to prepare and make adjustments. Obviously the game last week was their first loss of the season, and they're not going to take that lightly. They're going to come back at us this weekend, and they won't want that to happen again. We need to be prepared for that."
– Tuchscherer, on what she expects from the Spartans in this week's rematches
Â
