MBB Semifinal Preview
Wesmen battle Calgary, Vikes meet Timberwolves
Article by Brian Swane, special to CW
Feb. 24, 2024 - The 2024 Canada West men’s basketball postseason started with 12 teams competing at Investors Group Athletic Centre on the University of Manitoba campus. Now after the completion of the play-in and quarter-finals, just four teams remain in Winnipeg, where a champion will be determined this weekend.
In semifinal games on Saturday, the Victoria Vikes tangle with the UNBC Timberwolves while the Calgary Dinos take on the Winnipeg Wesmen. The tournament concludes Sunday, with the bronze medal match at 6 p.m. CT followed by the gold medal game at 8 p.m. CT. Fans can catch all Canada West playoff actions live and on-demand at Canada West TV.
As the two-time defending conference champions and the first-place finishers in the 2023-24 Canada West regular season standings, not to mention the No. 1 team in the current U SPORTS Top Ten rankings, Victoria entered the playoffs as the favourites to capture the Stan Broder Trophy. So far, the Vikes have been up to task, beating the pesky Brandon Bobcats 98-85 in the quarter-final round.
The Timberwolves have crashed the party in Winnipeg, knocking off the host Manitoba Bisons with a stunning 84-78 win in the quarter-finals on Thursday. That was the second upset victory of the tournament for UNBC, which beat the UBC Thunderbirds 86-76 in the play-in round. With each step, the Timberwolves are making history now: this is their first ever Canada West semi-final appearance.
Calgary used a 22-5 run in the fourth quarter to storm back after trailing by as many as 10 points and defeat the Alberta Golden Bears 76-70 in the quarter-final round, keeping its championship hopes alive. By advancing to the semifinals for the first time since 2020. The Dinos are the hottest team in Canada West, with wins in 14 of their last 15 games spanning the regular season and playoffs.
With Manitoba eliminated, the Wesmen are now carrying the banner for their city. Winnipeg has been on a mission to reach the championship final for a second consecutive year, after having to settle for silver in 2023. The Wesmen rolled into the playoffs with six straight wins to end the regular season, and took care of business in the quarter-final with an impressive 96-69 victory over the UFV Cascades.
No. 1 Victoria Vikes (17-3 regular season, 1-0 playoffs) vs. No. 12 UNBC Timberwolves (9-11 regular season, 2-0 playoffs), 6 p.m. CT
- Regular season head-to-head:
Did not play
- Who to watch:
- Diego Maffia (Victoria, fourth year, guard) averaged a conference-best 26.7 points per game en route to winning Canada West Player of the Year for a second straight season.
- Justin Sunga (UNBC, second year, guard) has 17 assists in UNBC’s first two playoff games after ranking third in the conference with 5.3 assists per game this season.
No. 2 Calgary Dinos (15-5 regular season, 1-0 playoffs) vs. No. 4 Winnipeg Wesmen (15-5 regular season, 1-0 playoffs), 8 p.m. CT
- Regular season head-to-head:
Did not play
- Who to watch:
- Nate Petrone (Calgary, third year, guard) erupted for 33 points in Calgary’s win over Alberta on Thursday, just two days after being named a Canada West First Team All-Star.
- Shawn Maranan (Winnipeg, fourth year, forward) was selected to the Canada West All-Star Second Team after leading the conference this season with 7.2 assists per game.