Nobody has been able to knock the Capilano University Blues out of tune.
Heading into weekend games against the UNBC Northern Timberwolves, both Capilano basketball teams - men's and women's - have perfect 9-0 records in the B.C. Colleges Athletic Association.
The Timberwolves, with playoff positioning becoming more important every week, would love to be the first ones to create some sour notes for the Cap clubs. They'll get that chance tonight and Saturday at the Northern Sport Centre.
"Obviously they've had a good start to the season, 9-0," said UNBC men's coach Todd Jordan, whose team currently occupies third place in the standings with a 7-2 record. "This weekend is going to be a big one for potentially getting one of those top two seeds at provincials that gives you the first-round bye."
On both nights, the UNBC and Capilano men will be on the hardwood at 8 p.m. The women's games will start at 6.
Jordan said one of the keys to beating the Blues is limiting the effectiveness of their point guards, particularly James Lum. Even though he's a first-year player, Lum is among the league leaders in points and assists.
"He's a handful," Jordan said. "He's pretty quick and creates a lot of stuff so controlling him a little bit will be important."
The North Vancouver-based Blues are coached by Prince George product Jordan Yu, an all-star guard in the Capilano program before he went on to play and coach at UBC. Jordan takes his hat off to Yu for the job he has done with the Blues.
"Credit to Jordan down there - they had a slow start in the pre-season and once they got into league games they really turned it around," Jordan said.
The Blues have not yet played the second-place Vancouver Island University Mariners, who split a doubleheader with the Timberwolves Nov. 19-20 at the NSC. Nationally, the defending-champion T-wolves are listed at No. 7, two spots ahead of the Blues.
On the women's side this weekend, the T-wolves will be looking to improve upon a fourth-place record of 6-3.
"I'm excited to see how we match up with them," said UNBC interim head coach Rachel Hulme. "They're a tough and physical team and we should be able to meet them.
"It's going to be a really tough game and we're going to have to be prepared mentally the whole time. We can't have any lapses in our judgment. We have to come out from the start ready to go and take it to them and then not let down."
The Blues have one of the most potent offensive players in the league, Jessica Franz. She's a third-year forward who routinely puts up 20 points a night. Capilano was dealt a severe blow at the Christmas break, however, when it lost league scoring leader Alexandra Polischuk to academic ineligibility. Polischuk was averaging 25.6 points per game.
In the national rankings, the Blues are in the No. 7 position and the Timberwolves are outside the top 15.
