The Brandon University Bobcats have gone winless in their first six games. For the UNBC Timberwolves, there's danger in that fact.
When the Timberwolves tip off against Brandon tonight at the Northern Sport Centre, UNBC coach Sergey Shchepotkin wants his players focused and ready for battle. Anything less than a full effort, and they could be watching a Bobcats celebration at the final buzzer.
"Those are just numbers," Shchepotkin said in reference to Brandon's 0-6 record in Canada West women's basketball. "They don't really show the right situation because Brandon actually is a very, very good team."
A tough schedule is part of the reason for the Bobcats' slow start. In their opening six games, they have faced four of the better squads in Canada West -- the Victoria Vikes, UBC Thunderbirds, Saskatchewan Huskies and Alberta Pandas. Currently, the Pandas (4-2) and Huskies (5-1) are ranked fourth and fifth in the country. The Thunderbirds and Vikes, meanwhile, aren't in the top-10 nationally but they own records of 4-2 and 3-3 respectively.
The T-wolves sit at 3-3 themselves and are on a two-game winning streak. To win three in a row, one Bobcats player they'll have to slow down tonight is Cassie Cooke, a third-year guard from Maryland. Cooke is the runaway leader in Canada West scoring, with 156 points in Brandon's six games. Her points-per-game average is an even 26.
"It's going to be challenging to stop her," Shchepotkin said.
The T-wolves have their own scoring threats, most notably fifth-year players Emily Kaehn and Mercedes Van Koughnett. Kaehn, with an average of 14.8 points per game, is ninth on the league list while Van Koughnett is 11th (average of 13.8 points per contest). Kaehn is also first in field goal percentage (37-for-62, .597) and Van Koughnett is tied for first in assists (32, average of 5.3 per game).
Veterans Jen Bruce and Sarah Robin add scoring depth for UNBC, with points-per-game averages of 12.7 and 11.3.
Tonight's game will start at 6.
On Saturday, the Timberwolves will face the University of Regina Cougars, who take a 4-2 record into the weekend.
The UNBC men's basketball team will also be on the NSC hardwood tonight and Saturday, with both contests starting at 8 p.m.
The Timberwolves sit at 2-4 and the Bobcats have gone 1-5 so far. Regina also heads into weekend action with a 1-5 record.
Through six games, fifth-year forward Charles Barton leads the T-wolves in scoring with 94 points. Barton, from Vernon, is averaging 15.7 points per game but the team as a whole has struggled offensively. Of the 16 Canada West clubs, UNBC is 14th in scoring with a points-per-game average of 67.5.
