PHILIP THORNE

As final exams approach, so too does the end of the Huskies’ athletic season. With only a couple games left, you should put the books down this weekend and watch one of the strongest teams in the country — your own Huskies women’s basketball team.

If you didn’t already know, the Huskies women’s team is ranked first in the Canada West conference and second in the country. If that doesn’t get you interested in basketball this weekend, you need to check your pulse. A fact you need to know: the team has only lost one game at home this year, which was actually by one point in overtime. Other than that single blemish, the Dogs have been perfect at home for almost three seasons — simply unbelievable.

They will be faced with a tough test, as the reigning CanWest champion, the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, comes to town. The Dogs took care of business in the only two meetings with the T-birds earlier this season, winning both contests by over 20 points.

The squad loves to win at home and has earned the right to host a quarter-final series this weekend, as well as the CanWest Final Four, should they win. Couple that with consistent playoff runs year in and year out and players such as seniors Dalyce Emmerson — who is now heading up the all-time Huskies records in points and rebounds — and Laura Dally, and you have a juggernaut.

In her final post-season run, Dally and the rest of the team are excited to get playoffs underway.

“We’re really excited and we’re ready to play. We’re in the quarter-final against a very good UBC team, so we’re going to focus on ourselves defensively and be ready for what they throw at us. We have to make sure we box out, rebound the ball well and are able to guard one-on-one,” Dally said. “We would host [the CanWest Final Four] if we win, but we’re making sure we take care of business first and take it one game at a time.”

Head coach Lisa Thomaidis is used to the spotlight, as she recently coached the Canadian Women’s National Team to an Olympic berth, and also assisted with the 2012 Canadian Women’s Olympic Team. She has been spearheading one of the most successful programs in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport in recent memory.

Thomaidis, like her players, is anxious to get the post-season underway after a lengthy break.

“We’re looking forward to playing at home again and finally getting into the playoffs after a weekend off,” Thomaidis said. “UBC is typically very skilled — they’re long, they’re tall and they’re athletic, so we’re going to have some mismatches. We have to keep good ball pressure and try and push the tempo a little bit. We have some good athletes and want to get out and run against them.”

Having made it to the CIS championships six of the last seven seasons, Thomaidis also knows about the important aspects of building a team. She advocates for guards that are dangerous snipers from the field and big forwards that have more boards than carpenters. Thomaidis has taken the fundamentals and instilled them in a team that makes the game one of the most enjoyable experiences on campus.

The women’s team deserves the campus community’s support and, as a student, all Huskie events are free as they are included in student fees. It wasn’t long ago that the men’s team enjoyed similar success on the way to a national championship. I was there and the crowd was nothing short of amazing; it was so loud that you could not hear the announcer or yourself think. The atmosphere was electric and the women deserve the same support. Make sure to get out this weekend and show your Huskies some love as they continue the drive for a first ever national title.

Games one and two will happen on Mar. 4 and 5, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. If necessary, game three will take place on Mar. 6 at 6 p.m. All games will take place at the Physical Activity Complex.

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Image: Jeremy Britz / Graphics Editor