SOLID SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON ENDS WITH EARLY PLAY-OFF EXIT

After finishing the first half of the 2013-14 season with a 7-3 record, the ‘Birds were excited to get back to action after the Christmas break with a team training camp in Santa Barbara, California. The team trained out of Westmount College, combining on-court practices with off-court strength and conditioning sessions, all of which was made significantly easier by the warm outdoor training environment! After mixing in beach volleyball sessions and ringing in the New Year with the Lakers at the Staples Centre, UBC took on last year’s NAIA National Champion Westmount College in an exhibition game on January 2nd. The week of training and team-building translated into on-court success, as the T-Birds defeated Westmount 68-56. The following weekend marked one of the toughest home weekends of the season, as UBC played host to Alberta and Saskatchewan, who were ranked #3 and #4 respectively. UBC struggled to convert in Friday night’s 56-47 loss to the Pandas, shooting 35% overall and only 16% from three. Harleen Sidhu pulled in 2014’s first double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Kris Young added 14 points. UBC rebounded to come out of the gates strong on Saturday, holding Canada West’s highest scoring team to only seven points in the opening frame. Saskatchewan found their scoring touch as the game went on, and led by nine with just three minutes left. UBC mounted a frenzied comeback, with Cassandra Knievel hitting her first three of the night in the dying minutes to pull within two; Cherub Lum stole the ensuing inbounds pass and Knievel missed an off-balance shot to tie as the buzzer sounded. Young was the only double-digit scorer in the 55-53 loss, notching 24 points. UBC travelled to Calgary the following weekend to take on the Mount Royal Cougars in a double-header series. Young once again led the ‘Birds, scoring 27 points

and pulling in 10 rebounds in the 67-55 victory. Saturday’s rematch was marked by a feisty comeback on the part of the hometown Cougars, who wiped a 19-point deficit to single digits in the fourth quarter. UBC held on for a 67-59 win, with Young recording her second straight double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds), and Sidhu adding 19 points of her own. The next weekend UBC played host to the UNBC Timberwolves and comfortably took both games of the double-header, winning 79-58 on Friday and 85-58 on Saturday. Both games were highlighted with greater contributions from more players, with the bench accounting for 30 points and all players hitting the score sheet in Saturday’s game. UBC hit the road again to wrap up the month of January, with a swing trip to Lethbridge and

Calgary. Friday’s match-up against the Pronghorns was a close affair throughout, with UBC’s defense making the difference down the stretch. UBC scored 29 points off 19 steals en route to the 68-55 victory. Sidhu led the way with 20 points, while Knievel, Young and Adrienne Parkin added 15 points apiece. UBC hopped on the bus to head back to Calgary for Saturday’s game, a match-up with big play-off implications. It was another tight contest, with no team gaining a lead larger than seven over the course of the 40 minutes. The Dinos had a look at a three-point shot to tie the game in the dying seconds, but UBC held on to the 56-53 victory, and in doing so, helped Coach Deb Huband earn her 400th career win, making her one of the winningest coaches in CIS history. UBC was back at home the following weekend to take on their Okanagan counter-parts, the UBC-O Heat. UBC’s bench was once again a big factor in the game, counting for 34 of the team’s 83 points. 3rd year forward Stephanie Bell scored 13 points on 6-8 shooting and added seven rebounds in 16 minutes of play. Sidhu added another double-

Post Season Issue 2014

Adrienne Parkin Adrienne Parkin

double to her yearly total, grabbing 14 rebounds to go along with her team-leading 20 points. Although the ‘Birds’ offensive output slowed down in Saturday’s rematch, their defence held strong once again, holding the Heat to 55 points en route to the 13-point win. UBC dominated the glass with a 51-30 margin, and Sidhu and Young once again led the scoring with 21 and 20 points, respectively. In what is developing into a trend, UBC faced off against their Pacific rivals from Victoria in the final league games of the season, in what would ultimately determine which team earned the right to host a Canada West quarter-final, and which team would be on the road for the first round of play-offs. UBC travelled across the Strait for Friday’s game and two hot-shooting teams squared off in a high-scoring affair. UBC’s offense exploded for a 28-19 advantage after the first, but the Vikes found their groove in the second, holding UBC to 12 points while scoring 24 of their own. The hot hands stayed for the night, with UBC and UVIC each shooting 56 per cent from beyond the arc, but it was the home team who took game one 85-73. Young led the ‘Birds with 22 points, while Maggie Sundberg and Knievel combined for nine made three-pointers to count for 16 and 20 points, respectively. Saturday’s contest was a must-win for both teams and a back-and-forth affair through three quarters culminated in a 21-10 final frame in UBC’s favour, resulting in a 79-69 victory. UBC was clutch from the free throw line down the stretch, going 11-14 in the fourth quarter alone to seal the win. Young had a monster night for the ‘Birds, scoring 30 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Sidhu added 20 points and nine rebounds on a night that also recognized the 10-Year anniversary of the 2003-04 CIS National

Championship T-Birds. UBC enjoyed a bye week before hosting the Saskatchewan Huskies on the final weekend of February in a best-of-three series that would see the winner move on to the Canada West Final Four. In a similar style to the January match-up between the two teams, UBC’s defense got off to a smothering start, holding the Huskies to just six points in the first quarter. The defensive intensity remained constant over the next three quarters, with the home team forcing 19 Saskatchewan turnovers and allowing no player to score more than 10 points on their way to the 57-47 win. Young once again had a double-double, with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Sidhu added 16 and Parkin 11. Saturday’s rematch was another low-scoring affair, with the home team unfortunately coming out on the losing end. UBC was drastically outplayed on the boards, giving up a 49-30 advantage to the Huskies, and struggled to find its offense, with only Sidhu (17) and Sundberg (10) hitting the double-digit mark. The series was decided in a rare Sunday game, with both teams scoring early and often. Despite counting only nine turnovers and dishing out 22 assists, UBC once again had a huge disadvantage on the glass, allowing Saskatchewan to double them up 54-27. Saskatchewan took an unprecedented number of free throws on the night, scoring 33 points from the charity stripe, and went 24-26 in the second half alone on their way to winning the third and deciding game of the series. Despite having a disappointing finish to the season, UBC does not lose any players and look forward to coming in a more experienced and driven team next year.

2003-04 CIS CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM CELEBRATES 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY UBC’s final home game of the season also marked a special night for many of its former players, who came out to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the 2003-04 National Championship team. That group captured UBC’s first women’s basketball title in 30 years, and included three players who would go on to win two more titles for UBC in their five-year career, two CIS National Championship tournament MVP’s, four CIS

All-Canadians, 10 Academic All-Canadians and three players who went on to play for Canada. UBC Women’s Basketball is proud of the accomplishments of these players both during their time at UBC and in their pursuits after graduation. We look forward to several more 10-year reunion celebrations in the upcoming years!

THUNDERBIRDS RECOGNIZED WITH CANADA WEST AND CIS AWARDS

Three members of the UBC Women’s Basketball team were recognized for their on and off-court achievements when Canada West announced its conference award winners in March. Second-year guard Jaime Hills was named as the conference’s top choice for the Sylvia Sweeney Award, which recognizes excellence in the areas of basketball, academics and community involvement. Jaime has been an outstanding role model in the area of community in particular, and has participated in and organized countless activities and fundraisers. Since 2009, she has organized an annual event for underprivileged children (ages 4-11) at Vancouver's Strathcona Community Centre, which includes a basketball camp, brunch, Christmas presents and a visit with Santa Claus. Last May, she and 11 other members of UBC Athletics travelled to San Vincente, El Salvador as part of Habitat for Humanity's Global Village Program and spent two weeks helping build homes for needy families. Hills also helped organize the collection of donated goods (clothes, sports equipment, toys, toiletries) for those families. Working extra shifts in her summer job, Hills was able to sponsor a child in El Salvador to attend school for the year. On campus, she is actively involved as a staff reporter with the student newspaper, The Ubyssey. This summer, Hills will be volunteering as a lifeguard at Camp Good Times, a summer camp for children fighting cancer. She is also proposing a Big Sister-type program for UBC student-athletes and the local community. Fourth-year forward Harleen Sidhu was recognized as a Canada West Second-Team All-Star in only her first year competing in the CIS. Sidhu made her mark right away upon arriving at the Point Grey campus, recording season-highs in both points (31) and rebounds (15) in the team’s home opener against Trinity Western University in early November. The Surrey, BC native was a steadying force for the young ‘Birds, averaging 15 points and 8 rebounds in her role as the team’s starting centre. For the second straight year, fourth-year guard Kristjana Young was named as both a Canada West First-Team All-Star and a CIS All-Canadian (1st team in 2012-13, 2nd team in 2013-14). Young had another outstanding season for UBC, leading the team in points (18), 3-point shooting percentage (35%), assists (2.6) and steals (3.2). She counted seven double-doubles on the year, and set a new career high for points with a monster 31-point performance in the team’s final play-off game against Saskatchewan.

Harleen Sidhu

Kris Young

Jaime Hills

Jaime Hills

Kiana Lalonde

Diana Lee

Kara Spotton

UBC WELCOMES THREE STANDOUTS TO THE THUNDERBIRD FAMILY The UBC Thunderbirds are excited to announce three new recruits who will join a roster that does not lose any players to graduation following the 2013-14 season. Representing the only ‘true’ incoming rookie is Kiana Lalonde, a 5’10 guard from Kelowna Secondary School. Lalonde, a long athletic guard who has played with the Basketball BC provincial team program for the past four summers, tore her ACL last summer and has been spending her final season of basketball rehabbing her knee and assisting with practice and coaching duties for her high school team. Lalonde hails from a basketball family; her mother Jacquie was a standout at the University of Oregon, her father Al was an all-star at UBC and her grandmother Heather Seminuk is currently the head coach of the women’s basketball team at UBC-Okanagan.

The ‘Birds also welcome two NCAA transfers in Diana Lee and Kara Spotton. Local basketball fans will remember former Handsworth star Lee as a dynamic point guard who brings toughness and tenacity on both ends of the court. Lee has spent the past three seasons at Boise State University, and after having surgery to address a disc issue in her back this past season, has made the decision to return to Vancouver for her final two years of university basketball. We are thrilled to re-unite the dynamic duo of Lee and Kris Young from their dominant high school days. Diana will bring tremendous leadership and competitive fire to our team and invaluable mentoring to our young backcourt. Rounding out the

recruiting class is 6’2 forward Kara Spotton, a native of Belleville, Ontario who moved to Colorado in elementary school and started her collegiate basketball career at Colorado State University. Spotton, who red-shirted this past season at CSU, played with current T-Bird Kris Young and represented Canada at the 2013 World University Games in Russia, and will be enrolling in the Sauder School of Business this fall. Kara is a focused and highly motivated individual with clear goals for her athletic and academic life. She is a dynamic competitor who will contribute in all aspects of the game. The team will immediately benefit from Kara’s leadership, experience, broad skill set and drive to be the best that she can be. Kara will provide depth to the forward line as a multi-dimensional two-way player. The members of the recruiting class of 2014 exemplify the qualities that define our program. They are three character individuals who strive to excel in the classroom, on the court and in the community. We enthusiastically welcome these newcomers into our Thunderbird family and look forward to witnessing their contributions next season and beyond.

ATHLETICS SPORT REVIEW Over the course of the 2013-14 season, the UBC Athletics Department was the focus of a thorough and intensive review conducted by the university to assess the efficiency and effectiveness with which it delivers its athletic programming. Each team was measured against a standardized set of criteria and was responsible for submitting a report that outlined how successful the team was in meeting these criteria, which included competitive success and competition structure, supports for competitive success, community support and tradition, partnerships, and fit with the university mission. UBC announced the final results of the Sport Review at the end of February, which classified all 29 former varsity teams and applying club teams into two categories, varsity or competitive club. Within the varsity stream teams were further categorized into three tiers; UBC Women’s Basketball was placed in the ‘Tier 1’ Category, which means that following the 2014-15 transition year, they will receive enhanced supports as the result of being classified as one of the teams who are most ready to achieve excellence across the criteria. The review process gave our program the opportunity to highlight our strengths and identify areas that can be enhanced to make our program even stronger going into the future. We would like to thank our alumni, friends and family for their support of our program during this process and we look forward to the enhancements our program will receive as a result of the sport review.

ALUMNI GAME AND SOCIAL- SAVE THE DATE Start dusting off your shoes and working on your hook shot, because the date has been set for next year’s Annual Alumni Game! More details will be sent out in late August, but mark your calendars for Sunday, September 21, 2014. Festivities will take place at War Memorial Gym, and are set to start at 2pm. We look forward to seeing you there!

JOIN THE 6TH WOMAN MONTHLY GIVING CLUB TODAY Two years ago, UBC Women’s Basketball unveiled a fundraising initiative called the Sixth Woman Monthly Giving Club, a platform that focuses on building a broad membership base by providing a more affordable and convenient option for donating to our program. For as little as $5 a month (or as much as $50!), donors can help support our university athletes directly, as all funds from the Sixth Woman Club are directed to the athletes in the form of athletic scholarships, equipment, exhibition travel and athlete services. It is our goal to get all of our alumni and supporters signed up to the Sixth Woman Club, so that we can continue to provide the best university experience possible for our student-athletes. So come on, forgo that latte today and join now! More information can be found at https://startanevolution.ubc.ca/projects/6th-woman-ubc-womens-basketball-monthly-giving-club/

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT 6th Woman Monthly Giving Club Amanda Beers Elissa Beckett Peggy Blumenthal Julie Cameron Trixie Cruz Jessie Evans Gregory Eng John Foster Jaime Hills Deb Huband Kim Howe Bill Humphries Kathy Lambert Erica McGuinness Lynn Parkin Betty Ross Peggy Robinson Lisa Scharf Julie Smulders Alex Vieweg Jason Wang Carrie Watts Bird Backer Beverly Barnes Amanda Beers Peggy Blumenthal Lauren Calancie Gordon Cochrane Lori Clarke Jennifer Hills Harold Jones Victoria Jury Marilyn Kinghorn Jenn and Ken Lum Lynn Parkin Lisa Price Jay Sharrers Mark Schuck Grapeseed Vacations Geoff and Nancy Thompson Wojciechowski Contractors Structured Cable Systems

Millennium Breakfast and Ruth Wilson Memorial Scholarship Peter Herd Elizabeth Marks Elizabeth Manning Mary Macdonald Erica McGuinness Loma McKenzie Jack and Marilyn Pomfret Barb Robertson Eleanor and Bill Whyte Kathy and Bill Lambert Geoff and Nancy Thompson Other Contributions Kenneth Barker Cathy Bultitude Harold Jones Evelyn Carroll Tim Cox Mark Churchland Joseph Eso Patricia Gilson Dorit Mason Sandra Sulyma Barb Whidden Richard Willett Mary Walton

Thank you from your UBC Thunderbirds!