BB: TWU guard proves dominance, SSK guard lethal in heavy weight bout

CALGARY – Trinity Western's Ja'Qualyn Gilbreath and Saskatchewan's Carly Ahlstrom were named the Canada West Basketball Players of the Week by the conference on Tuesday.

Gilbreath solidified his dominance in U SPORTS this season, finishing off his year as the top point-getter in the nation, averaging a full two points per game more than the nearest competitor. His 27.7 points per game average is also eight better than the second-best scorer in Canada West.

The fifth-year guard, well-known for contributing across the stat sheet, put up 27 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block Wednesday evening as the TWU Spartans beat the Thompson Rivers WolfPack, 88-75.

In his final CW regular season game Saturday, Gilbreath left it all out on the court in a close loss to the UNBC Timberwolves. He logged 40 per cent of his teams points, putting up 36 in a 96-88 contest. He also brought the heat on defence, grabbing four steals and six rebounds.

The Amarillo, TX product also set a single-season school record for points scored.

Trinity Western finished the season with a record of 8 wins and 10 losses, and will now wait for other teams to complete their regular season schedules before heading to the 17-team single knock-out Canada West playoff tournament. The action is set for March 3-5 at the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge.

Game log:
​Feb. 16: 27 pts, 12 rebs, 2 asts, 2 stls, 1 blk in 88-75 W at TRU
​Feb. 19: 36 pts, 6 rebs, 1 ast, 4 stls in 96-88 L at UNBC

Meanwhile, in a battle of Eastern division big-hitters, one guard dealt the most devastating blows. Carly Ahlstrom notched two double-doubles in a pair of weekend matches against the Huskies' biggest division rival, the University of Winnipeg Wesmen.

The third-year guard had nearly 40 per cent of her team's points in Friday's defensively-minded game. Ahlstrom led the Huskies with 20 points, 12 rebounds, a steal, an assist and a block in a 54-42 victory over the Wesmen. In a game where every shot matters, she worked with efficiency from beyond the arc, netting four of nine attempts. ​

As the defence loosened Saturday, Ahlstrom remained locked down. She posted two blocks while snatching up 10 rebounds and two steals. She scored 16 points of her own while assisting twice before the Huskies fell to Wesmen, 77-64. The loss is just the Huskies' second of the season.

The Calgary, AB product ranks second in the conference in three point percentage at 43.4.

She'll play a prominent role with her now 14-2 Huskies as Canada West begins to name a champion, starting March 4. That's when 17 teams will descend on Calgary in a single game knock-out tournament to decide the Final Four.

Game log:
​Feb. 18: 20 pts, 12 rebs, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl in 54-42 W vs WPG
​Feb. 19: 16 pts, 10 rebs, 2 asts, 2 blks, 2 stls in 77-64 L vs WPG