The UBC Thunderbirds will host the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers in their quarterfinal game of the men’s basketball national tournament on Thursday, March 13 at 8 p.m. in the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
The T-Birds enter the national tournament as the third seed, after a home loss to the University of Calgary Dinos in the Canada West championship game. The Panthers defeated the St. Francis Xavier X-Men for the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) men's basketball title, which propelled them to the sixth seed.
UBC last made the national tournament in the 2019/20 season, where they finished third. Although this will be their 24th appearance in the national tournament, their last national title was won 53 years ago during the 1971/72 season.
This would be UPEI’s ninth national round appearance, last making it during the 2022/23 season. While they have never won the national title, they have finished fifth twice.
The matchup
The Panthers are not the biggest team, but what they lack in size they make up for in effort. They recorded 4.2 blocks and 14.3 offensive rebounds per game through the regular season. They are also one of the best teams in the country at taking care of the ball with only 12.8 turnovers per game.
The T-Birds, by contrast, are one of the biggest teams in the country and they use their size to great advantage. They earn nearly 32 defensive rebounds a game, and despite their size, they are a mobile team that averages 10.8 steals a game.
Thursday’s matchup is likely to be a fast-paced affair. The ‘Birds are one of the highest scoring teams in the country (87 points per game) and it will be interesting to see if the Panthers (75.5 points per game) can keep pace with them.
Players to watch
For the Thunderbirds, Fareed Shittu, Adam Olsen and Nikola Guzina have been stand-out performers all season. They have been averaging double-digit points per game and their offensive production will be needed for a ‘Birds victory. Shittu and Olsen also have high free throw efficiencies while Guzina is the team’s leading offensive rebounder.
Kyree Thompson and Kamari Scott have been the engine for the Panthers’ success this season. Both players have been averaging over 14 points a game and will need to be contained by the T-Birds’ defence.
After the tough loss to the Dinos, Olsen said that the team would be “looking to come out with energy.”
“Guys are going to hit shots, but our energy doesn't fade,” he said. “We don’t get too high on the highs. We don’t get too low on the down times. We stay neutral and we just keep fighting, that’s what we do.”
The winner of this quarterfinal game will take on the winner of the game between the University of Calgary Dinos and Queen's University's Gaels for a shot at the national championship.
This article is part of our 2025 Final 8 coverage. Follow us at @UbysseySports on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, as well as @theubyssey on TikTok, to follow our U Sports basketball coverage starting March 12.
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