Just a few thoughts from Friday night in the world of sports before heading off to cover the Brandon Bobcats-UBC Thunderbirds women’s volleyball match:

• First, from volleyball: The Bobcats nearly pulled off a major upset over UBC but the gap between the Birds and the young Bobcats was readily apparent despite the fact BU did play two solid first sets. UBC has an ability to turn it on, seemingly at the drop of a hat and it did that in the fourth set. The T-Birds then scored 13 kills — and an ace — out of their 15 fifth-set points, which is unreal. All-star left side Liz Cordonier, however, didn’t play the first set (no particular reason is known as to why) and then came on and ripped at balls in the fourth and fifth. BU simply doesn’t have that kind of X-factor, but the Bobcats were still full marks for playing one of the best teams in the nation right to the wire. Put the Bobcats in the OUA and they’re probably going to nationals. As it is, they have a tough climb in the Canada West.

• Sticking with BU before moving on to the rest of the country: A gigantic road win for the men’s basketball team beating a short-staffed UBC team at War Memorial. The Bobcats came back from as many as 10 down late in the first half to run their record to 12-1 and their winning streak to seven conference games. The Thunderbirds played all but 10 minutes — those coming in the fourth quarter — without leading scorer Chris Dyck, who is a difference-maker. Dyck is injured and coach Kevin Hanson was being cautious with his star. It doesn’t take any luster off the win for BU, but it is noteworthy.

• Take Concordia out of the top 10 already. Second thought, the Stingers brutal loss to Laval on home floor Friday night should do that. CU lost by 23, is now 4-3 on the season and has lost back-to-back games at home. The Stingers don’t have a win over a ranked opponent yet somehow are No. 5 (currently) in the country and were No. 3 prior to the loss to McGill last weekend. Enough. They’re not even winning their conference, so they don’t deserve the top 10. Buuuuuuut, because of the CIS’s “only three spot drop” rule combined with the ridiculous Quebec conference’s one-game-per-week schedule, the Stingers will remain in the rankings.

• Don’t look now but the Lakehead Thunderwolves aren’t completely awful this season. That’s not a slight to the T-Wolves, who stumbled through a 1-21 season a year ago, but rather a call to those who haven’t noticed that LU is only one game back of the OUA West Division’s top spot. That said, I might have just jinxed them with their game against Laurier tonight. The return of Kiraan Posey is obviously huge and I think Lakehead is still in need of support for him and Warren Thomas if the Thunderwolves are to be taken seriously come playoff time. We’ll be having head coach Scott Morrison on this week’s podcast, by the way, so look out for that. UPDATE: Yes, of course I jinxed them. A yucky 72-56 loss to the Hawks.

• Kudos to the Manitoba Bisons for a win over the Saskatchewan Huskies on home floor, the Herd’s first W at the IGAC this season. It was said on this page earlier this week that Manitoba would need production from someone other than Darcy Coss and Isaac Ansah and the Bisons got it with 18 points off the bench from Lakeland College transfer Clarence Smith. Meanwhile, the depth of the Huskies is again an issue. While Rob Lovelace stepped up and hit for 17 points, Saskatchewan did not play any of its non-starters more than nine minutes. The Huskies are a two-game sweep in the playoffs for whomever they play. UPDATE: A gigantic win for the Bisons, knocking off Alberta Saturday night for their first win streak of the season. Manitoba is still four games back of the final playoff spot in the Great Plains.
• The Simon Fraser Clan defined the term ‘trap game’ on Friday. Just a few days after nearly upsetting UBC on the road, the Clan returned home and lost a stinker to the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack, 91-75. It was TRU’s first road win of the season and the first time the Pack has scored 90 points in conference play.

• And one separate Saturday note: Just came across that the Bisons men’s volleyball team (4-7) pumped the No. 8-ranked Trinity Western Spartans in three straight sets. That suddenly puts the rebuilding Bisons in the playoff picture with two big matches against Brandon next weekend in Winnipeg.