CALGARY – After sweeping their opening series last weekend against UNBC, the University of Calgary Dinos play their first home games of the 2017-2018 season this weekend against the UBC Thunderbirds. Ranked fourth and fifth in the preseason coaches poll, one team will stay undefeated, while the other will suffer its first loss.
DETAILS:
- Date: Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4
- Start time: 6 p.m. MT Friday and 5 p.m. MT Saturday
- Venue: Jack Simpson Gymnasium
HEADLINES:
- UBC was ranked fourth in the conference coming into the year, with the Dinos right behind. Both teams won their respective road series last week.
- The T-Birds beat the UFV Cascades 71-62 and 69-49, while the Dinos beat UNBC 80-55 and 81-58.
CALGARY DINOS: 2-0 (11-9 in 2017)
Last result: 81-58 win over UNBC
- Calgary had five players score in double-figures in each victory over UNBC, with 2017 third-team all-star Brianna Ghali and Bobbi Jo Colburn scoring more than 10 points in both games.
- It's been two years since the teams have met in the regular season. In November of 2015, Calgary swept a home series against UBC 70-50 and 74-72. But last season in exhibition, the T-Birds beat the Dinos 55-37.
- Calgary went 7-4 at home last season, with the biggest difference in rebounding compared to playing on the road. The Dinos averaged four more boards at the Jack than away from home.
- The Dinos will try to keep up their defensive intensity against UBC: in their series against the Timberwolves, Calgary had 22 points off 23 turnovers in game 1, followed by 20 off 20 in game 2.
UBC THUNDERBIRDS: 2-0 (16-4 in 2017)
Last result: 69-49 over UFV
- UBC looks to make a big postseason run after losing to Alberta in the Canada West quarterfinal last season. The team returns second-team All-Canadian Maddison Penn, veteran point guard Jessica Hanson and CW all-rookie Keylyn Filewich.
- After Penn dominated Game 1 last week with a 21-13 double-double, she was joined by Filewich who went 21 and 11 in Game 2, while the All-Canadian went 15 and 11.
- Penn was the Canada West's second-leading scorer last season at 18.1 points per game. As a team, UBC led the conference in field goal percentage and three-point percentage, while only committing 14.7 fouls per game, also first in the conference.
- Head Coach Deb Huband enters her 23rd season as UBC head coach, and last year recorded her 300th league win.
