CW three stars: West Coast pair earn first spots

EDMONTON – Victoria's Amira Giannattasio and UBC's Victory Shumbusho are the Canada West first stars of the week for the period ending Sunday, November 4.

Highlights:

Giannattsio was clutch for the Vikes this weekend, as the fifth-year guard finished the weekend with 60 combined points in a split with UBC. The Hamilton, Ont. product posted 44 points Friday, which is the fourth most all-time in a single CW game.

On the pitch, Shumbusho scored a combined three goals, as UBC claimed the program's 19th conference title. The Thunderbirds are set to host this weekend's U SPORTS national championship in Vancouver.

The pair now move forward as the conference nominees for the U SPORTS athletes of the week.

Game log: Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018 – 46 minutes played, 44 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals and 1 assist in 113-108 loss at UBC (3OT) / Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018 – 35 minutes played, 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal in 72-65 home win over UBC

Despite a loss to UBC on Nov.1, fifth-year Vikes guard Amira Giannattasio's 44-point effort lifted her in both the school and conference record books. Giannattasio finished the night with 44 points, six rebounds, four steals and put up four three pointers to break a 40-year-old school record for most points scored in a game.

Victoria's Carol Turney-Loos held the record of 42 points, fifth-highest in the Canada West, from a game in 1978 against Saskatchewan. Giannattasio's total bumps her into fourth in the conference for most points in a game, with Calgary's Meagan Koch holding the record with 49 points from a game in 1996. 

The Ontario native followed up her Thursday night performance with 16 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal to help the Vikes defeat the UBC Thunderbirds 72-65 on Saturday.

Victoria travels to take on Thompson Rivers this weekend, with games Friday and Saturday in Kamloops.

Game log: Friday, Nov. 2 – 2 goals, 3 shots in a 7-0 UBC win over Fraser Valley / Sunday, Nov. 4 – game-winning goal in a 2-0 UBC win over Trinity Western in CW championship.

After missing part of the season due to injury, 2017 Canada West Rookie of the Year Victory Shumbusho showed he is back better than ever with a three-goal weekend, helping power the Thunderbirds to a record 19th Canada West title.

The second-year forward scored twice in Friday night’s 7-0 rout of the Fraser Valley Cascades to punch UBC’s ticket into Sunday’s championship match. Shumbusho needed all of three minutes to score what would stand up as the game-winner against the Spartans Sunday afternoon.

Shumbusho has a share of the Canada West playoff goal scoring lead with three while his four total points are just one back of teammate Zach Verhoven.

The T-Birds cruised through the Canada West playoffs scoring 12 goals while putting up three clean sheets. UBC is now set to host this week’s U SPORTS national championship, entering as the third seed. The ‘Birds will face the OUA silver medalist Carleton Ravens Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. PT as UBC begins their quest for a 14th national banner.

Game log: Friday, Nov. 2 – 22 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal in 36 minutes played in 75-68 home victory over Winnipeg / Saturday, Nov. 3 – 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists in 34 minutes played in a 90-75 home win vs. Winnipeg.

The UNBC Timberwolves Women’s basketball team stayed perfect this week, with fifth-year forward Vasiliki Louka providing a pair of massive performances in wins over the Winnipeg Wesmen.

On Friday, November 2nd, Louka paced the TWolves with 22 points and 14 rebounds, before an even better performance the very next night, when she scored 26, while adding another 14 rebounds.

Louka leads Canada West in rebounds, and rebounds per game (14.5), while also sitting top five in field goals made (36) and points per game (22.8). The Timberwolves are off to their best start since joining Canada West, and the six-foot-three post has played a major part in the early-season success.

UNBC is at home to Trinity Western next weekend, in a meeting of 4-0 teams.

Game log: Friday, Nov. 2 – 22 points, 12 rebounds, 39 minutes played, in 84-79 home win over Brandon / Saturday, Nov. 3 – 20 points, 5 rebounds, 8-14 FG, 3-5 3PT, 32 minutes played, in 83-82 home victory vs. Brandon

Third-year guard Triston Matthews enjoyed the familiar rims on his home opening weekend, as his hot shooting was key in the two wins UBC Okanagan posted over the Brandon Bobcats this past weekend in Kelowna. 

Friday night UBCO erased a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter with Matthews leading the way scoring eight of his 22 points in the fourth and pulling down four of his game-high 12 rebounds to lead the Heat to an 84-79 comeback win.

Saturday, behind Matthew’s team-high 20 points, UBC Okanagan swept the Bobcats with a 83-83 win, the fourth straight for the Heat. Shooting 60 per cent from three and 57-percent from the field also grabbing five rebounds Matthews efficiency and all-around game allowed the Heat to hang on to the win.

Looking to keep the ball rolling, the North Vancouver guard and his Heat team will remain at home for their next two games. The Lethbridge Pronghorns head to Kelowna, with games Friday (8 p.m. PST) and Saturday (7 p.m. PST).

Game log: Friday, Nov. 2 – Career-high 16 kills on 40 swings, .325%, six digs, two aces, career-high 18 points in 3-0 home win over UBCO / Saturday, Nov. 3 – 14 kills, 10 digs, two aces, 16 points in 3-1 home victory over UBCO.

Sophomore left side Emma Parker set a pair of career-highs in a short match Friday, notching 16 kills and 18 points in a 3-0 win over UBCO, helping the Wesmen snap their 25-match losing streak.

On Saturday, she posted her second double-double in four matches and her third match in four with double-digit digs. She averaged 15 kills, eight digs and 17 points for the weekend as the Wesmen won two straight for the first time since 2016.

Winnipeg is back in action this weekend with a home series against the Trinity Western Spartans.

Game log: Friday, Nov. 2 – 32 mins, 9-for-18 FG, 23 points, 17 in second half, two rebounds, one assist in 84-82 loss at UNBC / Saturday, Nov. 3 – 28 mins, 10-for-18 FG, 27 points (21 in second half) seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, block in 96-81 road win vs. UNBC.

All-star guard Narcisse Ambanza helped key big second halves on the road for the Wesmen, one in a narrow loss and the other in a win going away.

Ambanza averaged 19 points in just the second half of the two games at UNBC, as the Wesmen nearly came back to steal a win Friday, and ran away on Saturday.

Ambanza averaged 25 points a game and shot better than 50 per cent from the field as the Wesmen salvaged a split at UNBC.

Winnipeg is on the road again this week, as they are in Edmonton to take on the MacEwan Griffins Friday and Saturday.