MBB Preview: TWolves Gearing Up For Home Clashes with Victoria and Trinity Western

The Matchups:
UNBC vs UVIC (Thursday, January 16 at 8:00 pm)
UNBC vs TWU (Saturday, January 18 at 7:00 pm)

Victoria Vikes

Record: 10-0
1^st in the Pacific Division
92.6 Points Per Game (1^st)
69.6 Points Allowed Per Game (3^rd)
Scoring Leader: Diego Maffia (21.1 Per Game)
Rebounding Leader: Shadynn Smid (5.5 Per Game)
Assists Leader: Sam Maillet (4.1 Per Game)
Steals Leader: Renaldo Robinson (2.1 Per Game)
Blocks Leader: Shadynn Smid (0.9 Per Game)

Player to Watch: Renaldo Robinson
14.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 2.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG

Even with Vikes star Diego Maffia questionable for Thursday's game with an injury, the Vikes are loaded throughout their lineup. Victoria's second leading scorer on the season is third-year guard Renaldo Robinson. The Montreal product brings an average of 14.2 points-per-game along with a team-leading 2.1 steals and a solid 4.1 rebounds-per-game. Robinson is a threat from deep, having clicked on 16 of his 40 attempts from beyond the arc so far in 2024-25.

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Trinity Western Spartans

Record: 4-7
5^th in the Pacific Division
73.5 Points Per Game (12^th)
77.2 Points Allowed Per Game (12^th)
Scoring Leader: Jerric Palma (17.5 Per Game)
Rebounding Leader: David Mutabazi (8.3 Per Game)
Assists Leader: David Mutabazi (3.6 Per Game)
Steals Leader: Josh Belvin (3.1 Per Game)
Blocks Leader: Aristote Kalala (1.0 Per Game)

Player to Watch: David Mutabazi
11.6 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Fourth-year guard David Mutabazi brings a little bit of everything to the Spartans attack. The Delta, B.C. product is averaging 11.6 points-per-game while leading the team in rebounding (8.3) and assists (3.6). In 55 career appearances for Trinity Western, Mutabazi has made 53 starts which is a testament to his consistency and his durability.

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UNBC Timberwolves

Record: 1-9
7^th in Pacific Division
67.6 Points Per Game (17^th)
89.1 Points Allowed Per Game (17^th)
Scoring Leaders: Evgeny Baukin (18.0 Per Game)
Rebounding Leader: Will Keyes (6.4 Per Game)
Assists Leader: Justin Sunga (3.6 Per Game)
Steals Leader: Justin Sunga (1.5 Per Game)
Blocks Leader: Evgeny Baukin (1.0 Per Game)

Player to Watch: Isaiah Bias
6.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Given the high volume of injuries currently facing the TWolves, many younger players have been thrust into much bigger opportunities than they would have otherwise received. First-year guard Isaiah Bias is taking full advantage. On Saturday night at UBC, Bias poured in a career-best 19 points on a super tidy seven-for-12 shooting, while adding three assists and three boards during a career-high 31 minutes played. There are going to be bumps along the way for Bias and all of the younger players for that matter, but the improvement from Bias is undeniable and hopefully bodes well for another big week of games at Brownridge Court.

Milestone Watch: