BY SCOTT
HADDOW
The stakes don't get any higher for the Laurentian University
men's and women's basketball teams this weekend.
The men host Ryerson in a must-win game tonight at the Ben
Avery Gymnasium at 8 pm, while the women also take on Ryerson
at 6 pm.
For the men, their entire playoff hopes rest on tonight's game.
Ryerson sits just two points ahead of Laurentian for the sixth
and final playoff spot.
If they win, the Voyageurs tie Ryerson for sixth and take
control of their own destiny for the remainder of the
schedule.
If they lose, the team will basically be playing for respect
the rest of the season.
The men enter the game on a high as they snapped an ugly
five-game losing streak last weekend with two big, character
wins over Queen's and RMC.
The Voyageurs have their hand and are ready to play high-stakes
basketball.
"I want them to respond as they should...there isn't any
explanation needed as the stakes are high," said head coach
Virgil Hill. "They're competitors and know where they stand and
it should fall into place."
The men have had an up-and-down season.
"We got off to a blazing start, but we had a terrible middle,"
said Hill. "The two wins doesn't light the world on fire.
We couldn't find our stride since the first week of October. The wins are important...it showed the players that hard work pays off, especially against Queen's, which is a good team. All the games we lost could have easily went our way...that's the story of our year."
More success lies in working even harder and getting solid
performances from top players such as Brody Bishop and Lucas
Wiebenga. Both players stepped up last weekend, combining for
70 points in the two wins.
"We need consistent performances from our key guys," said Hill.
"We need players like Brody and Lucas to lead.
They're our most experienced guys. I'm not surprised at what
they have been doing. I expect a lot from them and they're
showing they can get the job done."
Despite a record of 5-13, and being in seventh place, the
Voyageurs will not roll over and die for any team.
"These guys are going to keep battling," said Hill. "Just
because we are down, doesn't mean we're out. They still believe
they can get it down."
The court is going to be full of energy come 8 pm tonight.
"It's going to be an intense game," said Hill. "I would expect
it to be nothing but an all out war."
People shouldn't count out the Voyageurs yet.
"We've played some good basketball despite not getting the
wins," said Hill. "At times, we've shown signs we can play with
the top teams in the country."
The men then play Toronto on Saturday night at 8 pm. After the
game, senior player Brody Bishop will be honoured.
The Lady Vees have been making a statement recently by winning
their last eight games in a row. They want to make it 10
straight wins by beating Ryerson tonight and Toronto on
Saturday at the Ben Avery Gymnasium. Both games start at 6
pm.
The women started the season by going 5-6. They haven't lost
since Jan. 6.
The winning streak has worked magic on the young squad.
"Our confidence is growing," said head coach Mike Clarke. "We
had a tough schedule early. With the young team, I wasn't
surprised our record wasn't the best to start. It was a brutal
schedule. We're starting to play more consistently...just what
I expect a young, but talented team to do. They're matured
quite a bit."
Many factors go into the recent success by the Lady Vees, but
they all add up in a hurry.
"It's not just hard work...these players are disciplined," said
Clarke. "They stick to the game plan. Our depth is solid...we
have a deep bench, especially up front compared to most teams
we play. We're bringing players such as Lisa Furchner and
Amanda McConnell off the bench...and they would be starters for
just about anyone else. Our bench has really developed...we're
getting strong play from these players and it's making a
difference. It's unusual because even the good OUA teams talent
drops off after the starting five players. We may not have the
best starting five, but we're consistent right through our
whole bench."
The women have vastly improved in two key areas over the second
semester and more progress could yield more success.
"Our defence and rebounding has been getting a lot better,"
said Clarke. "It shows with every game...it will help us win
more games. We want to close out our home schedule strong and
the team will play really hard."
The Lady Vees are getting another stand out season from their
star player Cassandra Carpenter, who has 396 points this season
and just set a new OUA record for career rebounds with 781.
"It just shows how consistent she is," said Clarke. "Rebounding
is about intensity and she never takes a night off...she's
always ready to compete hard."
The Lady Vees will also honour two of their senior players -
Lisa Roberts and Erica Johnson - after the game. All honoured
players receive a framed jersey with their number on it and a
special reception with a slide show featuring the player's
brightest moments during their Laurentian career.
