Bobcats ready for provincial rival Wesmen
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The light at the end of the Brandon University Bobcats’ tunnel has finally arrived.
But they can’t take it lightly.
The BU women’s basketball team (3-9) remains in Canada West playoff position despite an eight-game losing streak. However, it takes on one of the three teams, just one win back in the Winnipeg Wesmen (2-8) at the Healthy Living Centre this weekend.
Madi Schettler stretches out to catch a backdoor pass during Brandon University women’s basketball practice on Wednesday. (Thomas Friesen/The Brandon Sun)
Tonight’s return to regular-season action tips off at 6 o’clock.
“We needed a break, but coming into this game, we’re super ready,” said second-year guard Taya Clark. “Feeling confident, feeling like all this work we’ve put in is going to pay off in these next few months, and I’m really excited.”
BU started the season 3-1, something it had never done in more than 20 years of Canada West play, but then faced four teams ranked in the U Sports top 10 on consecutive weekends.
While that hot start feels like a long time ago, it began with decisive victories over the Manitoba Bisons and host Wesmen on opening weekend.
Clark knows enough about both her hometown teams to know they’ll put up a fight tonight.
“They’re going to come ready to play, and we have to match their energy and keep our pace and keep pushing the ball, and not let them go on stretches,” Clark said.
“They’re a really tough team, and they have a lot of skill. They push the ball really well, they have a lot of depth, and I’m really excited to play them.”
The Wesmen have been rolling out 10 players for at least nine minutes per game, with no one averaging more than Jennifer Kallon’s 26.2.
Veteran guard Raia Guinto leads the team with 12.2 points per game.
Clark was thrust into action as a rookie, averaging nearly 22 minutes per game with five starts. That average has dipped to 16.4 as head coach Ilarion Bonhomme added imports Ella Averill and Macaya Copeland in the off-season.
The Bobcats average 63.5 points per game this season, with 80 per cent coming from Copleand, Averill, Piper Ingalls and Amaya McLeod. The rest of the group has settled into their roles.
For speedy guards like Clark and her high school teammate Madi Schettler, theirs is on the defensive end.
“My role is very defensive, as hard-working as I can be on defence to get those opportunities for our team to play off of that,” Schettler said.
The Bobcats have allowed a league-high 83.5 ppg, in part due to the tough schedule. They faced all four teams that sit 10-0 in the Prairie Division.
After this weekend, BU has a bye, then visits Mount Royal (6-6).
The Bobcats are in the sixth of seven playoff spots, so a weekend sweep would go a long way to distance themselves from the Wesmen.
BU closes the season hosting the MacEwan Griffins (0-10) on Jan. 30-31, then visiting the Bisons (2-8) on Feb. 6-7.
“We definitely realize in the second half, we have eight winnable games,” Schettler said. “It’s important to focus up because this can put us in playoff position.”
Brandon last qualified for the playoffs in 2017, when it lost a play-in series 2-1 to Trinity Western. It competed in the 2022 post-season, but all 17 teams did following a modified regular season due to COVID-19.
The BU men (6-6) take on Winnipeg (7-3) at 8 p.m.
On Saturday, the women play at 5 p.m., with the men following at 7 o’clock.
» tfriesen@brandonsun.com