The Canada West Championship showdown is set as No. 3 UBC Thunderbirds hosts No. 4 Calgary Dinos.
UBC vs. Calgary Preview
UBC and Calgary spent most of the season ranked nationally at either No. 2 or No. 3, frequently swapping positions. By the end of the regular season, Calgary held the No. 3 national ranking, while UBC finished at No. 4.
UBC, the second-place team in the Pacific Division, entered the Canada West Playoffs as the No. 3 seed, while Calgary, the second-place team in the Prairie Division, secured the No. 4 seed.
The two teams met earlier this season, splitting their series—UBC took the first game (93-89), while Calgary responded with a win in the second matchup (96-89).
With both teams evenly matched, this promises to be a tightly contested battle.
BRONZE MEDAL GAME
No. 1 Victoria Vikings faces No. 2 Manitoba Bisons in the BRONZE medal matchup, with the winner securing a spot at Nationals.
Manitoba/Victoria Preview:
The Vikes have held the No. 1 national ranking throughout the entire season. They finished the regular season undefeated with a perfect 20-0 record in the Pacific Conference, earning the top seed in the Canada West Playoffs. After defeating UFV in the quarter-finals (106-84), they suffered an unexpected first loss of the season in the semi-finals against Calgary (77-68).
“Our players have not lost any confidence and believe they can beat anybody and show people we’re still the team everybody thought we were. But we have to prove that on the court.” Murphy Burtkowski, Vikes Head Coach.
(Victoria Times-Colonist)
Manitoba, meanwhile, has fluctuated in and out of the top 10 national rankings, finishing the regular season ranked No. 7. The Herd ended with a 16-4 record in the Prairie Conference, securing the second seed in the Canada West Playoffs.
The Bisons defeated Thompson Rivers in the quarter-finals (70-67) but fell to UBC in the semi-finals (87-79).
“They just had their first loss of the season after going undefeated. But I think we match up well with them in some ways better than we match up with UBC ….”Kirby Schepp, Bisons Head Coach.
(Winnipeg Free Press)
The Vikes and Bisons did not face each other this season. The last meeting between the two teams was in January 2024, when Manitoba lost in overtime by a score of 103-100.
With the Vikes looking to bounce back from their first loss and the underdog Bisons eager to prove themselves, Manitoba will need to play at their best to pull off the upset.Success will depend on strong team rebounding, tenacious defense, and a well-balanced offensive attack.
