Jefferson Hagen / MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Losing one's identity is frustrating, confusing and bewildering.
The Griffins women's basketball team clearly knows who they are – an intense, gritty, blue collar, hard-working defensive team that once led Canada West in forced turnovers. But they completely lost their way during an upset loss to the last-place Mount Royal University Cougars last Saturday.
It wasn't until the fourth quarter when the game was already out of reach that they put forth that trademark swarming defence that forces even the best opponents into mistakes.
They want to become that team again this weekend when they visit the UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver on Friday (2 p.m. MT) and Saturday (6 p.m. MT, both games on Canada West TV).
"We've talked as a team and identified that being a tough, gritty defensive team is something that, early in the season, we really took pride in and was a characteristic of what teams could expect against us," said Griffins head coach Katherine Adams. "I think, as we discussed against MRU – too little, too late. So, we need to get back to a real focus of just being tough defensively, taking pride in the one-on-one battle – 'I'm not going to let you beat me.'
"And knowing that UBC has some very talented players, it can't be a one-on-one effort. It has to be a total team effort. So, we need to commit to that early, knowing that that is who we are and where we've had success in the past."
There are no wasted minutes left to be had if the Griffins hope to catch a playoff spot in the competitive Canada West conference. Including this weekend's matches, just six games remain. MacEwan (4-10) is currently four points back of the 12th and final playoff spot, which is currently held by none other than UBC (6-8). Next week's opponent Alberta is also 6-8, while MacEwan will close out the regular season at home against Trinity Western (11-3).
"You get to this point in the season and it's cliché to say, but every game matters," said Adams. "But it's also something that can't be a point of focus for us. We just have to go and do what we do well, play our game and take pride in knowing that we're being the best version of ourselves. We'll see what happens – see where the cards fall and take a look at the standings afterwards.
"As long as we can take pride in the way we play – committing to our style – we can feel good about our performance regardless of what the scoreboard says."
This is, after all, a team that is hoping for short-term results but building for long-term success with seven rookies on the roster.
Veterans Kayla Ivicak and Paige Knull lead MacEwan with 13.1 and 12.4 points per game, respectively.
UBC boasts a trio of double-digit scorers: Maddison Penn (19.0), Keylyn Filewich (16.4) and Jessica Hanson (11.5).
The other twist to the weekend is that Friday's game will be played in the afternoon in front of a crowd of kids on UBC basketball's School Day. The MacEwan volleyball teams experienced that in Vancouver earlier this season, while Adams has some veteran players who've also played in that kind of atmosphere.
"Last year, actually, we got to play an afternoon game out in Brandon – the same type of thing. So, half of our team has experienced this type of environment before," she said. "It's fun, there's lots of energy in the gym and that always creates an intensity and desire to compete because there's lots of noise and energy coming from the stands."
