Metro Vancouver…..The KPU Eagles women’s basketball team sit in 7th place in the PACWEST going into the 2014/15 holiday break with a regular season record of 1-6.
The Eagles are working hard to find their rhythm in the regular season after significant changes to their roster occurred just prior to opening day. KPU’s second-year guard Shilpa Khanna, Surrey, BC continues to lead her team and the league in scoring. Khanna is in third place in the PACWEST with 110 points in seven games to average 15.71 per game. Eagles fifth-year post Samantha McPhail, Langley, BC is eight in the PACWEST for rebounds with 48 rebounds over seven games, averaging 6.86 per game.
Veteran players have proven to be a key aspect of the KPU squad. Fourth-year guard Christina Brown and third-year forward Amber-Lee Kavanagh, both of Langley, BC, continue to demonstrate c onsistent strength, tenacity, and leadership for the team. Also making significant contributions to the KPU line-up are first-year point guards Amelia Worrell, Liberia, Costa Rica, and Ana Moroziuk, Penticton, BC. Both Eagles have racked up significant minutes on the court and are gaining valuable experience in their inaugural year playing interuniversity ball.
KPU Eagles Ana Moroziuk gets the shot off against the Capliano University Blues
Head coach Dan Nayebzadeh remains confident in his team early into the 2014/15 season and knows that the Eagles have the strength and resolve to get through this rough patch to remain competitive. “We are right there, we are close. We can feel it and taste it,” Coach Nayebzadeh noted, “We can compete, we know we can. We have to work hard in practice and we have to practice like we want to play.”
The season is one-third over and the Eagles look towards an entire month in the Eagles Nest the next seven regular season games have KPU as the host. The first game back from holiday break will be on Friday, January 9th when the CBC Bearcats come to town for a 6:00pm tip off with the women, and 8:00pm tip off with the men.
A notable night will include the Eagles women’s basketball second annual Breast Cancer Awareness fundraiser with Silent Auction on January 30th. Bids will be accepted starting at 5:30pm, just a half hour before the women’s game tips-off. The Eagles will also be selling pink t-shirts as part of the fundraiser with proceeds going to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (BC & Yukon Chapter). Keep your eyes on the Eagles website for more theme-nights and days for Eagles basketball, www.kpu.ca/eagles.
Photo Credit: Tree Frog Imaging
For more information on the Department of Athletics & Recreation, please contact Junelle Mah, sports information and marketing, at 604-786-0804 or at junelle.mah@kpu.ca.
The KPU Eagles Department of Athletics & Recreation enters its 14th season of interuniversity competition. The Eagles are members of the PACWEST conference and play in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with 100 student-athletes participating on eight varsity teams in men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, badminton and golf. KPU athletics plays its home games at the Eagles’ Nest (Surrey Campus), Northview Golf & Country Club, Newton Athletic Park, all located in Surrey, BC and the Ace Badminton Centre in Richmond, BC. The Eagles are active in the conference with staff members on various advisory committees and competing to host both provincial and national championships. The student-athletes are mainly from the lower mainland but KPU’s rosters have included student-athletes from North America, South America, Asia and Europe.