BB: Third-year guards put exclamation mark on regular season

CALGARY – ​ Victoria's Diego Maffia and Fraser Valley's Maddy Gobeil were named the Canada West Basketball Players of the Week by the conference on Tuesday.

Maffia was a superstar in two close games against the UBC Thunderbirds that sealed Victoria's place as the top seed in the conference.

In the final two games of the regular season, Maffia put up an astounding 73 points, taking personal responsibility for nearly 40 per cent of his team's points.

He made his intentions clear from the jump, needing just 11 seconds to down a three Thursday evening. Then, with five minutes remaining and a seven-point lead, Maffia dismissed every attempt from Thunderbirds to regain footing. He posted 13 points in the last 5:05 of the contest, showing the then 13-5 T-Birds why his Vikes boast the conference's top RPI.

The third-year guard finished the night with 31 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal in the 90-82 victory.

He was even more impressive Saturday, hauling in 42 points in an edge-of-your-seat contest with a T-Birds' team eager to avenge Thursday's loss. He played the hero, scoring the team's last 19 points as they battled to overcome a UBC lead that grew as high as 14. Maffia scored every one of Victoria's baskets down the stretch, proving his nerves of steel in the game's biggest moments. It took him just eight minutes to post 19 points, capturing the final two on free throws with four seconds left to send the game to overtime.

Maffia knocked down another two free throws in overtime, as well as a three-pointer as his Vikes scrapped and clawed for the 94-92 victory.

Maffia's defence also came up big in key moments. He grabbed a steal before the free throws that sent the game to overtime, then again in overtime before assisting teammate ​ Dominick Oliveri.

The heroic effort was the perfect exclamation to regular season play for the conference's scoring leader.

He and the Vikes are now looking forward to quarterfinal action at home on Saturday. They'll face off against the winner of the UNBC/Regina match (ninth and eight seeds respectively), slated for the night before.

You can catch all the playoff action on Canada West TV.

To follow along with all the latest playoff news and excitement, visit Championship Central.

Game log:
​Feb. 9: 31 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal in 90-82 W at UBC
​Feb. 11: 42 points, 7 rebs, 4 assists, 3 steals in 94-92 W vs UBC

Meanwhile, Fraser Valley's Maddy Gobeil was on a mission of her own this weekend. The third-year guard had something to prove when her Cascades welcomed the top-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies for a weekend series.

Friday night's game had no shortage of action, drama and pure talent.

With the defending CW champs pushing in the fourth, Gobeil stood toe-to-toe, grabbing a steal for a lay-up before sinking a free throw and three-pointer to keep the Huskies chasing. She got back to the line with less than four minutes left, then hit back-to-back threes to a chorus of hometown fans. Gobeil added a jumper in the dying minutes to keep the Cascades on top, coming up huge in the 83-70 upset. It was just the third loss Saskatchewan suffered all year.

Fuelling the Cascades' scenes of victory was the storyline of Gobeil's 33-point night.

She returned to lead the Cascades' charge again on Saturday, but it wasn't quite enough to sweep the Huskies. She posted 18 points in the loss, as Saskatchewan earned the 73-62 win to return home as the conference's top playoff seed. Gobeil finished the season eighth in the conference for scoring (18.1 per game) and fourth in steals (2.8).

She and the Cascades now set their sights on UNBC Friday in Edmonton. The single-elimination game will decide who takes on the fourth seed, Alberta, in the CW Quarterfinals. You can catch all the playoff action on Canada West TV.

To follow along with all the latest playoff news and excitement, visit Championship Central.

Game log:
​Feb. 10: 33 points, 4 rebs, 3 asts, 4 stls in 83-70 W vs SSK
​Feb. 11: 18 points, 2 rebs, 1 ast in 73-62 L vs SSK