The UNBC Timberwolves have added some size and strength under the hoop and they didn't need to go out of town to do it.
Six-foot-one post player Alexis Magrath is the newest recruit of the UNBC women's basketball team. The Grade 12 D.P. Todd secondary school student has signed with the Timberwolves for the 2017-18 Canada West season.
"She obviously possesses great size and presence, particularly in the paint," said UNBC head coach Sergey Shchepotkin. "Canada West basketball is a physical game and I anticipate she will really help us at both ends of the floor."
Magrath, who prides herself as a rebounder, is thrilled to officially be part of the UNBC women's basketball team. Playing for her hometown squad was the natural choice.
"I have been waiting a long time for this," she said. "I put five years of work in with my school team and I have played four years (with UNBC's) Junior Timberwolves (program). I have played for Sergey Shchepotkin before and I really love his coaching so I am looking forward to this season."
Shchepotkin has seen Magrath develop her game in the Junior Timberwolves program and said her work ethic is what sets her apart from other players.
"I expect her to continue to improve in her time here at UNBC," he added.
This season's T-wolves are down to their final two games of the regular schedule. They'll meet the University of Saskatchewan Huskies on Friday and Saturday (6 p.m. and 5 p.m. respectively) at the Northern Sport Centre and will be looking to clinch their first-ever berth in the Canada West playoffs. Currently, the Timberwolves hold the 12th and final playoff spot and can be caught by only the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, who will complete their regular season with a doubleheader against the host University of Alberta Pandas.
Heading into the weekend, UNBC has a 6-12 record while Lethbridge is two points back at 5-13. Both clubs will be in for tough games, as the Huskies (13-5) are the fourth-place team and the Pandas (15-3) sit in second spot.
The Winnipeg Wesmen lead Canada West with a 16-2 record.
The Timberwolves are in their fifth season at the Canada West level.
Prince George's Kayla Gordon has been named a Canada West female first star of the week.
Gordon, a Cedars Christian School graduate who plays for the Trinity Western University Spartans women's basketball team, combined for 52 points and 24 rebounds during a pair of road wins against the Mount Royal University Cougars last weekend. She poured in 26 points in each game, the first one an 87-82 Friday decision and the second an 80-51 Saturday victory. The fourth-year forward pulled down 14 rebounds on Friday and 10 more on Saturday.
From the field, Gordon finished the weekend with a 69 per cent shooting average and remained the Canada West season leader in that category. Her season average is an impressive 54.9 per cent.
The sixth-place Spartans (12-6) are on the verge of locking up home-court advantage in the first round of playoffs for the first time in their history and have already established a new mark for wins. They finish the season this weekend with home games against the fourth-place UBC Thunderbirds (14-4).
