Canada West Communications

Highlights:

• Regina’s Kyanna Giles (BB) and Lethbridge’s Zac Overwater (BB) are the Canada West first stars of the week for the period ending February 18
• Both led their teams to sweeps in the Canada West basketball quarter-finals at home
• Alberta’s Eryn Orysiuk (VB) and Trinity Western’s Kayla Gordon (BB) are the other women’s stars, while Calgary’s Riley Sheen (HKY) and UBC’s Conor Morgan (BB) are the other men’s stars 

EDMONTON – Regina’s Kyanna Giles and Lethbridge’s Zac Overwater are the Canada West first stars of the week after leading their teams to sweeps in the basketball quarter-finals. 

Giles combined for 48 points and 12 rebounds in Regina’s two-game series win over the UBC Thunderbirds. The No. 1 seed in the CW women’s basketball playoffs, Regina takes on the Calgary Dinos this weekend in the conference semis, as the Queen City continues to prepare for the U SPORTS national tournament March 8-11. 

In Southern Alberta, Overwater poured it on offensively. The Didsbury, Alta. product combined for 67 points, including 43 in Saturday’s 105-98 overtime game, to help the Pronghorns to a pair of wins over Regina in the quarters. Thanks in large part to Overwater, the No. 4 ‘Horns are headed to the conference semis for the first time in nearly two decades, as Lethbridge travels north to take on the No. 1 seed Alberta Golden Bears in Edmonton beginning Friday.

Also earning stars this week were: Alberta’s Eryn Orysiuk (VB) and Trinity Western’s Kayla Gordon (BB) on the women’s side, while Calgary’s Riley Sheen (HKY) and UBC’s Conor Morgan (BB) are the other men’s stars.

Be sure to watch all the conference playoff action in basketball, volleyball, and hockey this weekend by tuning into Canada West TV.

Women’s first star – Kyanna Giles

Regina Cougars basketball

2nd-year

Winnipeg, Man.

Education

Game log: Thursday, Feb. 15 – 20 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals in 85-70 W vs. UBC / Friday, Feb. 16 – 28 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals in 71-62 W vs. UBC. 

A couple of impressive outings from second-year guard Kyanna Giles helped Regina get a two-game sweep over UBC in a Canada West quarter-final series. 

Giles was all over the stat sheet in Thursday’s 85-70 win in Game 1, collecting 20 points to go along with seven assists and six rebounds for the Cougars.

But she was even better on Saturday in a hard-fought game that was a one-possession affair as late as midway through the fourth quarter. Giles poured in a career-high 28 points, which included a personal 8-0 run, which featured a pair of triples that turned a slim two-point Cougar advantage into a 69-59 lead with three minutes to go. She finished 11-for-18 from the field overall in Saturday’s win, including 4-for-8 from three-point land. 

Over the two games, Giles collected 48 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, five steals, and a block. She shot 54.1 per cent from the field in the series.

The Cougars will now prepare for a best-of-three Canada West semifinal series on home court against No. 4-seeded Calgary. That series will begin on Thursday night at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport.

Men’s first star – Zac Overwater

Lethbridge Pronghorns basketball

Forward

4th-year

Didsbury, Alta.

New Media 

Game log: Thursday, Feb. 15 – 24 points,11 rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and one assist in 115-68 W vs. Regina / Friday, Feb. 16 – 43 points, 16 rebounds, two steals, one block and assist in 105-98 OTW vs. Regina. 

Fourth-year forward Zac Overwater recorded back-to-back double-doubles to lead the Lethbridge Pronghorn men’s basketball team to a place they have not seen in 18 years – a trip to the Canada West semifinals. 

Overwater led the way for Lethbridge, as the ‘Horns earned a two-game sweep of the Regina Cougars in the conference quarter-finals.

Thursday night in the series opener, the Didsbury, Alta. product scored a game-high 24 points on an efficient 10-for-15 shooting from the field and completed the double-double with 11 rebounds in the Pronghorns convincing 115-68 victory. 

Just over a month removed from setting a new program record for points in a game with 49, Overwater had another monstrous performance to lead the Pronghorns to the series sweep, outlasting the Cougars in overtime, 105-98. 

On another solid shooting night, Overwater hit over 50 per cent of his shots, including 13 from the free throw line, en route to 43 points and 16 boards for his second consecutive double-double.

Overwater and his Pronghorn teammates will head to Edmonton to face the Canada West top seeded Alberta Golden Bears in a best-of-three semifinal starting Friday night.

Women’s second star – Eryn Orysiuk

Alberta Pandas volleyball

Setter

5th-year

Edmonton, Alta.

Business

Game log: Friday, Feb. 16 – 33 assists, four aces, three digs and three kills in 3-0 W vs. Brandon / Saturday, Feb. 17 – 33 assists, three aces, and seven digs in 3-0 W vs. Brandon.

Fifth-year University of Alberta Pandas setter Eryn Orysiuk is the Canada West second star of the week after her record-setting performance led the Pandas to a weekend sweep of the Brandon Bobcats.

Orysiuk finished with 66 assists, seven aces, ten digs and three kills as the Pandas finished their season with six-straight wins to jump into fourth in Canada West with a 15-9 record. Thanks to her strong weekend, the fifth-year Panda was also able to set a new conference record for assists in a single season with 942, and a program record for aces in a season with 47. 

The Edmonton, Alta. product finished with game-highs of 33 assists in each of the Pandas 3-0 wins over the Bobcats, with her strongest performance coming on Saturday, as she also added three aces and seven digs. 

Orysiuk and the No. 4 Pandas will host the No. 5 Trinity Western Spartans in a Canada West quarter-final series this weekend at Saville Community Sports Centre.

Men’s second star – Riley Sheen

Calgary Dinos hockey

Forward

2nd-year

Edmonton, Alta.

Arts 

Game log: Friday, Feb. 16 – goal on three shots in 4-1 L @ UBC / Saturday, Feb. 17 – two goals including GWG in 6-3 W @ UBC / Sunday, Feb. 18 – game-winning goal in 4-2 W @ UBC.

The University of Calgary Dinos men’s hockey team rode the hot hand of Riley Sheen during their Canada West quarter-final matchup with the UBC Thunderbirds, winning a thrilling three-game series over the weekend. 

Sheen’s name was all over the scoresheet on the weekend, potting goals in each game, including a pair on Saturday night, to extend his point streak to eight games. 

On Friday night, the Dinos found themselves trailing by three in the third period when the Edmonton native scored Calgary’s lone goal of the night.

In a must-win game on Saturday, Sheen scored a pair of goals with impressive individual efforts and was credited with the game-winning tally.

Although held in check for most of Sunday’s Game 3, Sheen wouldn’t be denied in the third period as he connected for the series clincher mid-way through the final frame. 

Calgary now advances to the conference semifinal where they will visit the Saskatchewan Huskies, February 22-24.

Women’s third star – Kayla Gordon

Trinity Western Spartans basketball

Forward

5th-year

Prince George, B.C.

Business 

Game log: Thursday, Feb. 15 – 20 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists in 62-53 W vs. Alberta / Friday, Feb. 16 – 17 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists in 70-64 W vs. Alberta. 

Fifth-year Kayla Gordon helped the Spartans make program history over the weekend, as she averaged 18.5 points per game and eight rebounds per game in leading TWU to the Canada West semifinals for the first time ever. 

Gordon’s impressive quarter-final performance lifted TWU to back-to-back wins over Alberta, which was an historic result in its own right, as the Spartans have never earned two wins in a single weekend over the Pandas. Gordon shot a team-leading 54.2 per cent in the weekend sweep and also had 3.5 assists per game. 

TWU will now prepare for a semifinal series on the road against Saskatchewan. Gordon was instrumental in TWU’s record-setting regular season, as she averaged 13.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while helping the Spartans post a program-best 16-4 record.

Men’s third star – Conor Morgan

UBC Thunderbirds basketball

5th-year  

Victoria, B.C.

Kinesiology

Game log: Thursday, Feb. 15 – 21 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and one block in a 106-74 W vs. Manitoba / Friday, Feb. 16 – 16 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks, and two steals in 97-72 W vs. Manitoba. 

UBC’s fifth-year force Conor Morgan led the way to a two-game sweep over the Manitoba Bisons in the Canada West quarter-finals at War Memorial Gym.

Morgan led all players with 21 points and put up a game-high 11 rebounds in just 22 minutes of playing time to set the pace for the ‘Birds’ rout of the Bisons.

The following day, Morgan had an incredible 16 total rebounds, 15 of them defensive, to go along with his 16 points. He finished the game three assists shy of a triple-double.

Picking up where he left off with a tremendous regular season, Morgan leads the Canada West post-season with 22 defensive rebounds, sits third in total rebounds with 27 and leads the Thunderbirds with 18.5 points per game.

Morgan and the ‘Birds head to Calgary for the Canada West semifinals starting Thursday, February 22.