Ab SchThe Pandas basketball team had an up and down weekend coming back after the Christmas break, splitting their series in Winnipeg with the Wesmen.
After a tight 83-75 loss on Friday, the Pandas were able to bounce back on the Saturday, putting together a dominant performance and grabbing a 76-54 win.
If the Pandas were rusty, head coach Scott Edwards wouldn’t admit it. He attributed the loss on Friday to a more simple cause.
“I think it was a lack of attention to detail on our part,” Edwards said. “We turned the ball over 25 times and gave up 15 offensive rebounds. Those are just hustle plays that get the other team going.”
Despite Friday’s disappointing loss, Edwards didn’t do anything out of the ordinary to prepare his team for Saturday.
“We tried to keep the game in perspective,” he said. “It’s game 10 of a 20-game season. The only thing we really did differently was that we had a much longer video session than normal and we just let the athletes talk about what we needed to do differently in order to win the next game.”
Edwards praised the play of guard Sally Hillier over the weekend, saying her leadership and grit were critical to the team’s rebound win on Saturday.
“She really showed her mental and physical toughness all weekend,” he said. “She kept us in the game to a certain extent on Friday, and showed more great toughness and maturity on Saturday to help us win the game.”
The Pandas will now head into next week’s showdown with the Manitoba Bisons, who own a conference-worst 1-11 record, looking to recapture first place in the conference, which is now owned by the 10-2 Regina Cougars. Although momentum may not play much of a factor considering how difficult Manitoba’s season has been so far, coach Edwards acknowledges the possibility that it could be pivotal for the Pandas.
“We’re coming off playing a good team in Winnipeg, and then after them we have Regina, who is the best team in the nation,” Edwards said. “These are games that could be trap games if we let them.
“I think our team is mature and experienced enough to understand that. We will definitely talk about that when we’re preparing for this week.”
The Golden Bears basketball team was also in action against the Wesmen last weekend, squeaking out back-to-back victories, winning 70-68 on Friday and 63-62 on Saturday. The weekend sweep was a major step in the right direction for the Bears, who had a difficult first half to their season. The Bears now own a 6-5 record and have moved into a playoff spot for the first time since November.
The Bears will look to build on their success as they travel to Manitoba for a tough test against the 8-4 Bisons, who are currently the third best team in the Pioneer Division.
