BB: TWU, WPG guards put together remarkable playoff performances

CALGARY – Trinity Western's Mason Bourcier and Winnipeg's Kyanna Giles were named the Canada West Basketball Players of the Week by the conference on Tuesday.

In the CW 17-team Basketball Playoff tournament, Bourcier hit the court inspired. In the team's first game of the bracket Thursday, the versatile Bourcier did what he does best: stuff every column of the stat sheet.

The conference's triple-double king (and current record-holder) did it again, posting 15 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists in the game.

Then he did it again.

And again.

In the team's three playoff games, Bourcier had three straight triple-doubles.

Of the six playoff triple-doubles in the U SPORTS history books (dating back to 2009), Bourcier owns three. And he did it in one weekend.

His second triple-double of the weekend was a spectacle. Bourcier exploded for 41 points Friday to lead his 11th-ranked Spartans in an upset of the sixth-seeded hometown Calgary Dinos. He also had 12 rebounds, 13 assists and two steals in the match.

He then posted 19 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals in the team's quarterfinal loss to Regina Saturday.

With the team's season now over, Bourcier will look to add to his current CW record when the Spartans get back on the hardcourt in the fall.

Game log:
​March 3: 15 pts, 11 rebs, 13 asts, 1 stl in 115-78 W vs GMU
​March 4: 41 pts, 12 rebs, 13 asts, 2 stls in 102-92 W at CGY
​March 5: 19 pts, 12 rebs, 10 asts, 2 stls in 105-81 L to REG

Meanwhile, Winnipeg's Kyanna Giles' fearless play led the Winnipeg Wesmen in their two games of the CW Women's Basketball playoffs this weekend.

With their season on the line, Giles got to work on every inch of the court. The crafty guard drove the lanes, shot the three, distributed the ball in key plays, and locked in on defence.

The fourth-year Winnipeg, MB product put up 35 per cent of her team's points in their opening 77-65 victory over the Mount Royal Cougars in Round Two. She also posted eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in the match. The CW Second Team All-Star looked to prove no one could cleanly guard her, getting to the line for 15 attempts.

Giles and her team appeared on a mission Sunday in their quarterfinal game against the higher-ranked Fraser Valley Cascades. She sparked the team with her energy on both ends, again finding ways to score from both the paint and behind the three-point mark.

Giles finished the night with 24 points, eight rebounds and four assists, leading her team to a berth in the CW Final Four.

She and the Wesmen will be back in action then, facing off against the Regina Cougars in the Championship semifinal. That game is scheduled for March 18 at 8 p.m. inside the University of Saskatchewan.

Game log:
​March 5: 27 pts, 8 rebs, 7 asts, 3 stls in 77-65 W vs MRU
​March 6: 24 pts, 8 rebs, 4 asts in 75-69 W vs UFV