VICTORIA, B.C. - University of Victoria Vikes women's basketball head coach Brian Cheng said his squad feels like they've got something to prove after being provided with a second opportunity to qualify for the CIS national women's basketball championships.

The Vikes (15-7 regular season, 0-2 playoffs) will enter as the underdogs facing the host and No. 3 nationally ranked Regina Cougars (19-5 regular season, 3-1 playoffs) on March 11 at 4:15 p.m. PST in the first of two Western Regional semifinals. The Universite de Quebec a Montreal (UQAM) and the No. 9 nationally ranked Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks compete in the second Western Regional semifinal in Regina on Friday March 11 at 6 p.m. PST.

The UVic-Regina winner faces the UQAM-Laurier winner in the Western Regional final Saturday March 12 at 5 p.m. PST, securing one of three regional slots for the CIS national championship Final 8 tournament in Windsor, Ont., March 18-20. The two other regional seeds will be determined at the Central Regional in Ottawa, hosted by Carleton University, and the Eastern Regional in Fredericton, hosted by the University of New Brunswick.

Windsor (OUA champion), Cape Breton (AUS Champion), Laval (RSEQ champion) and Saskatchewan (Canada West champion) have already punched their ticket to nationals, with a wild-card team to be named on Sunday March 13 as the eighth and final participant.

Although the Vikes are just two wins away from qualifying for their first CIS national championship since 2005, Cheng said his squad is focussing solely on their first opponent and not thinking past Friday.

"We are completely focussed on the first minute of Friday's game and nothing else," Cheng said. "We're busy with preparation. We've seen them (Regina) four times this year and we're getting to know them pretty well. We're playing the No. 3 ranked team in their gym, it's going to be a battle."

Regina is 14-1 at home this season including the playoffs. After sweeping the Vikes in the best-of-three Canada West quarter-finals on Feb. 25 and 26, the Lady Cougars defeated Alberta 72-68 in the one-game Canada West semifinal and then lost 77-74 to Saskatchewan in last Saturday's Canada West Championship in Saskatoon.

"They're just a tough bunch of hard-working kids who give lots of energy and come at you. They attack you and try to put you on your heels," Cheng said of Regina. "I think they take after their leader in Joe (Joanna Zalesiak) and she has a game that her mentality is to just attack you and their team has taken on that personality."

Zalesiak torched the Vikes for 24 points in the second game of the best-of-three Canada West quarter-finals on Feb. 26 and is the Cougars leader and top threat. Other Cougars to watch include Lindsay Ledinghman, Megan Chamberlin and Gabrielle Gheyssen.

"We just have to play well, defensively rebound the ball well against Regina, and be able to guard them," Cheng said. "We'll have to be able to go in there and slow them down some. If we don't, they will be having the run of the game."

The Vikes did not know if they would even be playing at a regional tournament until Sunday afternoon when a committee of CIS coaches determined UVic had the strongest at-large berth. UVic, knowing they had a strong case for the at-large berth, spent last week practicing. They are looking for their first playoff win since 2008 when the Vikes defeated UBC in one of the Canada West quarter-final games, but lost the best-of-three series 2-1.

"We practiced, but we could not gear towards any one team. We knew if we got it, we would be going to one of three locations and playing a multitude of teams," Cheng said. "In the end, we practiced and worked on our own stuff and tried to refine and get better."

Cheng said he has been pleasedwith the focus at practice this week.

"We've practiced like we want something, just like we are taking advantage of this as a second opportunity," Cheng said. "And were going to have to have good practices here and then one there and then Friday we have to have 40 minutes of good defensive play, 40 minutes of consistent rebounding and 40 minutes of taking care of the ball and executing."

All Western Regional Tournament games can be viewed live at www.ssncanada.ca.

"At this time of year, it's all about how well you execute at both ends of the floor," Cheng said. "You have to win their way to nationals."

Regina's zone defence challenged UVic this year - in particular when the Lady Cougars switched to it in the third quarter. Regina outscored UVic 68-39 in third quarters in the four meetings this season.

The Vikes have won one of four meetings with Regina this year:
REGULAR SEASON (1-1)
Nov. 19    Regina 72 UVic 49 (at McKinnon Gym, Victoria)
Nov. 20    UVic 75 Regina 65 (at McKinnon Gym, Victoria)
PLAYOFFS (0-2)
Feb. 25    Regina 66 UVic 55 (at Regina, Canada West quarter-final series, Game 1)
Feb. 26    Regina 70 UVic 67 (at Regina, Canada West quarter-final series, Game 2)

The Vikes were 1-2 at the 2005 CIS National tournament, finishing sixth, and last won the national university title in 2003 in Hamilton, Ont., defeating Winnipeg 60-51 in the championship final after qualifying for the tournament as the third-place team in the Canada West. UVic has won the national women's title nine times:
2003 in Hamilton, Ont. (McMaster)
2000 in Edmonton, Alta. (Alberta)
1998 in Thunder Bay, Ont. (Lakehead)
1992 in Charlottetown, P.E.I. (UPEI)
1987 in Ste. Foy, Que. (Laval)
1985 in Lennoxville, Que. (Bishop's)
1982 in Saskatoon, Sask. (Saskatchewan)
1981 in Guelph, Ont. (Guelph)
1980 in Halifax, N.S. (Dalhousie)

Western Regional Semifinal #1
University of Victoria Vikes at Regina Cougars
Friday March 11, 4:15 p.m. PST
Live Stats / Live Video

Western Regional Semifinal #2
Universite de Quebec a Montreal vs. Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (at Regina)
Friday March 11, 6 p.m. PST
Live Video

Laurier (4th in OUA, 15-7 Regular Season, 2-2 Playoffs)
Playoff Picture
Feb. 23 Laurier 73 Guelph 47 (OUA West Quarter-Final in Waterloo, Ont.)
Feb. 26: Laurier 76 Western 74 (OUA West Semifinal at Windsor, Ont.)
Feb. 27: Windsor 65 Laurier 59 (OUA West Final)
March 5: Toronto 62 Laurier 54 (OUA Third Place Game)
Cheng said Laurier is a high-energy squad.
"It looks like they are a guard-oriented team. They have three players who can really play in the backcourt and a couple of posts who demand attention and a couple off the bench who can come in and help them," Cheng said. "They are an up-tempo team, the key to their team is the three guards who put pressure on you."

UQAM (2nd in RSEQ, Quebec Conference, 10-6 Regular Season, 1-1 Playoffs)
Playoff Picture
March 2: UQAM 65 Concordia 54 (RSEQ Semifinal)
March 5: Laval 75 UQAM 62 (RSEQ Final)
Cheng said UQAM has a very talented starting five and their first player off the bench often is in double-digit scoring.
"Andy UQAM has two players in starting line-up who can put up double-digits consistently. They have six solid players who can put pressure on you," Cheng said. "Those teams are going to Regina for a reason. They have players that make them good."