The TRU WolfPack women’s basketball team controls its post-season fate this weekend, playing host to the Manitoba Bisons (3-13) and the Winnipeg Wesmen (8-8) at the Tournament Capital Centre.
Victory against either team will put TRU into the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
The WolfPack (9-7) find themselves in fourth place in the Canada West’s pacific division, 10 points ahead of the fifth-place UNBC Timberwolves (4-12) of Prince George.
Should the Timberwolves lose either of their games this weekend — they are on the road to face two of the best teams in the nation in the Alberta Golden Bears (14-2) and the Saskatchewan Huskies (14-2) — TRU will finish no worse than fourth in the pacific division, guaranteeing a playoff berth.
Head coach Scott Reeves said he would like to see his team heading into the playoffs on a winning note but, when you’re talking bout the Canada West, how you get in the post-season isn’t what’s important.
“I’m pretty sure any team would take any playoff opportunity, however it came,” Reeves said. “It’s about winning basketball games and playing your best basketball heading into playoffs.”
TRU’s women are coming off a pair of victories against the Trinity Western Spartans (3-13) last weekend and have won seven of their last 10 games.
The WolfPack have not lost to Winnipeg or Manitoba since the 2010-11 campaign.
“I would hope that our preparation this week is going to dictate that we have a good scout on both teams and we’re going to be able to compete right to the end and give ourselves a chance to win,” Reeves said.
On the men’s side, the 9-7 WolfPack are in a playoff dogfight.
Despite a record that is identical to TRU’s women, the parity of the men’s field has the playoffs far from a guarantee for the Pack.
The UBC Thunderbirds (8-8), the Mount Royal Cougars (7-9) and Trinity Western (7-9) are within four points of the Pack and are threats to push TRU out of the playoff picture.
The Victoria Vikes are the division’s only safe team, boasting a 14-2.
Coming off a pair of victories against the Spartans on the weekend, men’s head coach Scott Clark is pleased to see his team peak at the right moment.
“Hopefully we can carry the momentum forward from last week,” Clark said.
“We were clearly the better team, I thought, for six of the eight quarters and it results in a couple of wins.”
The men will also be facing Manitoba (4-12) and Winnipeg (11-5).
Clark didn’t tip his hand regarding the health of his team but, with Josh Wolfram playing 32 minutes on Jan. 25 after leaving the Jan. 24 game with a lower-body injury, one would suspect he will be in the lineup when the Pack takes to the hard-court. Will Ondrik was also unavailable for the WolfPack last weekend.
“The guys that are healthy are playing and the guys who aren’t healthy won’t play,” Clark said.
Women’s action this evening (Jan. 31) tips off at 6 p.m.at the TCC with the men’s game going at 8 p.m.
On Saturday, Feb. 1, the women’s matchup will begin at 5 p.m., with the men taking over at 7 p.m.
TRU on ice
Skip Corryn Brown and her rink, which includes third Erin Pincott, second Samantha Fisher and lead Ashley Nordin, are in Edmonton to represent TRU this weekend at the Canada West Curling Championships.
The WolfPack will be up against teams from the University of Alberta, the University of Regina and the University of Calgary.
The top two teams will attend the national championship in Regina in March.
Wolves and birdies
The WolfPack and the TRU Gym will play host to the final tournament of the Pacific Western conference badminton season on the weekend.
TRU is ranked 12th in the nation and has placed no higher than fourth in the season’s two previous tournaments. The WolfPack will be without Anthony Arduini, one of the team’s stronger players, who is recovering from an ankle sprain.
