Upsets at the buzzer, rallies on the road. As usual, we’re here to provide you with the top five moments involving our local university sports teams this weekend.
1. The most significant regular-season win since the Simon Fraser Clan women joined the NCAA?
It came Saturday in Alaska as the Clan (13-7) survived some last-second dramatics to defeat Div. 2’s No. 1-ranked Anchorage Seawolves 67-66 in the final game before playoffs for both teams.
As part of a triple-double performance, Clan point guard Ellen Kett’s baseline dish to forward Rachael Fradgley with 10 seconds remaining and her team trailing 66-64 was crucial. Fradgley was fouled in the act of scoring, and went to the line to complete a three-point play for a one-point lead.
With two seconds left, Megan Mullings missed two free throws for the Seawolves (18-2).
Kett led the Clan with 14 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. SFU opens the Great Northwest Athletic Conference playoffs Thursday in Lacey, Wash, against Central Washington (10-10).
2. You could excuse anyone who thought the Trinity Western Spartans men’s volleyball team was finished after it dropped the opener of its best-of-three Canada West quarterfinal series in Calgary on Friday to the host Dinos because it represented the Langley squad’s fourth straight loss at the Jack Simpson Gym this season.
Thankfully for the Spartan faithful, they had The Province’s former Head of the Class honoree Ryan Sclater in their ranks. Sclater had 19 kills in a 3-0 sweep Saturday, then added another 17 kills Sunday as Trinity Western won 3-1 (25-21, 20-25, 25-21, 25-20) and earned a spot in the conference Final Four in Edmonton this Friday. The top three finishers there will advance to the nationals.
3. Grit counts for a whole lot in the playoffs, and the UBC Thunderbirds women’s basketball team had it in droves Saturday in Abbotsford.
As part of an 84-78 overtime win over the host Fraser Valley Cascades in Abbotsford, which gave the ‘Birds a 2-0 Canada West opening-round series sweep, UBC held its hosts to 1-of-10 shooting from the field in the extra session.
And even their own when shots weren’t falling, the Thunderbirds were filled with compete. The starting back court of Diana Lee and Cherub Lum each played 40 of the 45 minutes, Lee finishing with 13 points and seven assists and Lum with a surprising double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds.
UBC opens conference quarterfinal action Friday in Saskatoon, taking on the CIS No. 2-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies (18-2) in a best-of-three series.
4. The UBC women’s volleyball team moved itself to within one win of a trip to the CIS national tournament after it’s sweep of the Brandon Bobcats on Saturday in the second game of a best-of-three Canada West quarterfinal at War Memorial Gym. UBC beat Brandon 15-12 in the fifth set behind four aces and 14 kills from Danielle Brisebois.
The ‘Birds now travel to Kelowna for the conference’s Final Four. CIS No. 5 UBC can advance directly to nationals March 11-13 at Brandon with a win Friday over No. 1 UBC Okanagan, or still get there with a loss Friday and win Saturday against the loser of another Friday semifinal between Trinity Western and Alberta.
5. The PacWest provincial basketball championships open a three-day run Thursday at North Vancouver’s Capilano University and Vancouver Island University of Nanaimo heads in as the favourites on both the men’s and women’s side. The VIU men topped Camosun 82-62 to finish with a perfect 21-0 league mark, while the VIU ladies were top of the table at 19-2.
On the women’s side, local power Douglas College of New Westminster heads into the tourney with an 18-3 record after it got 15 points and 10 rebounds from Sarah Jorgensen in its regular-season finale 53-50 win at Cap on Friday. Saturday’s women’s final begins at 5:30 p.m. while the men’s final follows at 8 p.m.
