BURNABY, B.C. - Beginning Friday the top four remaining teams in the 2009 post season will take to the court in Simon Fraser University's West Gym to battle for the Canada West Championship at the 2009 Canada West Women's Basketball Final Four.

The home court Clan earned the right to host the tournament following their 22-1 regular season and 2009 Pacific Division title, and will face the University of Alberta Pandas in their opening round game on Friday (6:15 pm). The other semifinal features the University of Regina Cougars and University of Saskatchewan Huskies (8:15 pm). The gold medal game is scheduled for Saturday, February 28, at 7 pm, while the bronze medal game will be played at 5 pm.

All SFU games at the tournament will be available on Clan Radio and CKNW.com, while live statistics for all tournament games will be provided at:
http://cgi.sfu.ca/~athlwww/livestats/bball/xlive.htm

Simon Fraser Clan
CW Regular Season: 22-1
CW Post Season: 4-0

After an early season stumble against the University of Victoria Vikes, the Simon Fraser University Clan have put together a CIS best 25-game winning streak heading into the Canada West Final Four following their two-game sweep of the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the Pacific Division Finals. Featuring a talented and deep roster, the Clan have held the #1 ranking in the CIS for 13 of 14 weeks in 2008-09, and hold the top spot in the final CIS rankings.

SFU has a perfect 3-0 record against their Canada West Final Four opponents, defeating the Alberta Pandas 72-62 in early November when the Pandas were the #1 ranked team in the land, and followed that victory the next night with a 77-64 win over then #4 ranked Saskatchewan. In early January, the Clan dominated then #2 ranked Regina 80-63 at home, a game of particular significance as it marked the third straight game that guard Robyn Buna (Kelowna, B.C.) had been SFU's leading scorer during the season.

Buna carried that momentum throughout the second half of the year, and took on the mantle as the Clan's leading scorer, averaging 16.0 points-per-game during the regular season. Buna also posted a Canada West leading 67 made three-pointers during the regular season, and currently leads the conference in postseason made three-pointers, averaging 2.3 per-game.

Matteke Hutzler (Napanee, Ont.) has been the Clan's leading scorer during the post season, the third-year forward is second in the Canada West, averaging 16.3 points-per-game. Hutzler had particular success against the Trinity Western Spartans, scoring 23 and 22 points in back-to-back wins over TWU, and leads the Canada West with a 63.6 per cent shooting percentage in the post season. Third-year post Laurelle Weigl (Stony Plain, AB) was SFU's leading scorer during the first half of the regular season, however was edged out for the team lead by Buna in the second half and finished the year averaging 15.0 points-per-game. Weigl is averaging 14.0 points-per-game in four postseason games for SFU, and is fourth in the Canada West in field goal percentage (59.5 per cent).

The lone fifth-year senior on the Clan is Courtney Gerwing (Port Coquitlam, B.C.), and the swing-guard is also the only current SFU player on the roster with two CIS National Championships (2005, 2007) under her belt. Gerwing led the Canada West in assists in the regular season, and is averaging 7.8 assists-per-game in the playoffs. Another interesting note on the Clan; since all four teams at the Canada West Final Four have already qualified for the CIS National Championship in Regina, it will mark the eighth straight season under head coach Bruce Langford that the team has made it to the CIS National Championships. SFU has never missed the national tournament during Langford's eight-year tenure.

Saskatchewan Huskies
CW Regular Season: 18-4
CW Post Season: 1-2

Not many expected the University of Saskatchewan Huskies to be standing tall at the Canada West Final Four or the CIS Championship in 2008-09.

The Huskies entered the regular season with just one upper year player - fifth-year point guard Amy Prokop - and a roster full of second and third year players. The young roster did have big experience in 2007-08 to help push them forward this season. The Huskies upset the then-ranked No. 6 University of Calgary Dinos in the Central Division semifinal series and pushed the then-ranked No. 4 University of Alberta Pandas to three games in the Central Division final. They were also able to play in the CIS Championship in Saskatoon as hosts of the tournament, finishing sixth - losing in the first round to eventual bronze medalists McMaster University.

In just one season, Saskatchewan doubled their number of conference wins (9 in 2008 to 18 in 2009) by taking bites out of teams who gave them a rough time a season earlier, and only lost once at home all regular season. They opened the season with a win against the reigning CIS Champion UBC Thunderbirds and continued with victories over every ranked-Canada West team except the No. 1 Simon Fraser University Clan.

They were en route to a first place finish in the Central Division with an 18-4 record and went on a 13-game winning streak in 2008-09. It was the most wins and longest winning streak in the team's recent history. They have been ranked in the top four among CIS teams for most of the year. The Huskies have five players on their roster that are in just their second year with the team. Four of the five starters are in their third year of eligibility and not one has ever been an all-star, all-rookie or All-Canadian.

"This team is special because of how competitive, hard-working and cohesive it is," said head coach Lisa Thomaidis. "To go from 9-13 one year ago to 18-4 this season is a testament to the amount of work each and every athlete on this team put in over the last 12 months. From day one, I have always said that in order for our team to be successful in the Canada West, we will have to put in more work than anyone else and to their credit, this team has fully bought into that reality."

The Huskies, who averaged 70.4 points in their 22 games this season, have a team-first offense with a number of players able to finish the night in double digits. Leading the way is Kim Tulloch and Jana Spindler. Tulloch finished sixth in the conference averaging 13.1 points per game, first in free throw percentage making 46 of 52 she took this season. She was also eighth in three-point field goal percentage and 11th overall in field goal percentage. Spindler was tenth in scoring with an 11.7 average per game and eighth in rebounds with 6.9 per game.

Saskatchewan enters the Canada West final four as the wild card team. They are the No. 2 seed based on their success in the regular season against other final four teams. They open the tournament against provincial rival University of Regina Cougars, a team they have never faced in postseason despite being close geographically.

- Courtesy Saskatchewan Sports Information

Regina Cougars
CW Regular Season: 18-4
CW Post Season: 2-0

Winners of their past eight games and fresh off a two-game sweep over Winnipeg in the Great Plains Division final, the University of Regina Cougars enter this weekend's Canada West Final Four on a hot streak.

Ranked No. 3 in the CIS, the Cougars will get a rematch against the No. 4-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies in a Canada West semifinal game on Friday night. The Huskies are the only team to have beaten Regina in its last 12 games, as they dealt the Cougars a 76-48 loss in Regina in mid-January.

Despite being geographically separated by just 260 kilometres, Regina and Saskatchewan have never met in the postseason. Since Canada West and the old Great Plains Athletic Conference started an interlocking schedule back in 1999, the Cougars have won eight of the 11 regular season games between the two teams.

The Cougars are accustomed to enjoying an advantage off the glass, as they outrebound their opponents by an average of 12.1 boards per game. Regina is led by fifth-year forward Jessica Lynch in this category, as Lynch has a team-leading average of 8.4 rebounds per game and led Canada West with 94 offensive rebounds during the conference season. Lynch is also among the team leaders in scoring, as she averages 10.0 points per game. Chelsea Cassano (11.1 ppg) and Rebecca Schmidt (10.3) lead the Cougars in points.

One of the deepest teams in the country, the Cougars have several players who come off the bench to make key contributions. This list is headlined by second-year post Brittany Read, who has only started four games this season * including two last weekend against Winnipeg with Cassano nursing an injured ankle * but averages 8.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and leads the team with 36 blocked shots.

The U of R will be making its fourth appearance in the Canada West Final Four since the format was introduced prior to the 2002-03 season. Regina has won all three of its Canada West semifinal games to date, including an 84-79 upset over then-No. 1 Simon Fraser last season. This weekend, the Cougars will be looking for their second Canada West championship and their eight conference title overall.

- Courtesy Regina Sports Information

Alberta Pandas
CW Regular Season: 16-6
CW Post Season: 4-1

The University of Alberta Pandas basketball team heads to Simon Fraser as the #4 team for the Canada West Final Four, after winning the Central Division title in three games against the Saskatchewan Huskies in Saskatoon. All four teams, Simon Fraser, Regina, Saskatchewan and Alberta, competing at the Final Four championship in Burnaby will also make the trip to Regina for the 2009 CIS Women's basketball championship, March 6-8.

Alberta Head Coach Scott Edwards, the 2006-07 CIS Coach of the Year, makes his third trip to the Canada West championship in his three years at the helm. In his rookie season the Pandas finished the regular season at 16-6 and won silver at the conference level before also taking home silver from the national final. Last season the Pandas were sent home after the opening game of the Final Four, a 72-55 loss to the host SFU Clan.

It's against the Clan who the Pandas will kick-off the 2009 edition of the conference championship, a team Alberta out-played at the beginning of the season, but still lost 72-62. At the time the Pandas were the #1 team in CIS women's hoops and the Clan were #2, since then Simon Fraser has been nearly unstoppable, rolling up a 22-1 conference record and last weekend eliminated the defending CIS champion UBC Thunderbirds. The Clan are currently the #1-ranked team in the country, while the Pandas are #5.

The Pandas will rely on their conference leading defence this weekend and feisty fifth-year guard Ashley Wigg. Wigg leads Canada West in steals, is Alberta's leading scorer and is also third in conference assists. Fellow guard and CIS rookie Nicole Clarke will need to continue her outstanding play if the Pandas are to be successful, while veterans Kristin Jarock and Katie Barrett will have to lead on offense. Both are fifth year players for Alberta and both struggled through the first half of the season offensively, but have turned it on of late and will be counted on for clutch buckets and their experience. Rookie Anneka Bakker gives the Pandas an inside presence that they have been lacking over the past couple of seasons, and is Alberta's top shooter from the field with a 47% mark (78-167). Jarock and Bakker, who compliment each other nicely on the inside, lead the Pandas in rebounding with 90 and 82 respectively.

- Courtesy Alberta Sports Information

Canada West Final Four Schedule
Friday, February 27
6:15 pm. Alberta vs SFU
8:15 pm. Regina vs Saskatchewan

Saturday, February 28
5:00 pm. Bronze Medal Game
7:00 pm. Gold Medal Game

Source:

Scott McLean, BBA, MSA
Media, Broadcast and Sports Information Director
Simon Fraser University