OTTAWA (CIS) – Basketball players Sasha Polishchuk of Laurentian University and Will Coulthard of Wilfrid Laurier University are the CIS female and male athletes of the week for the period ending Jan. 6, 2013.

Polishchuk, a fifth-year political science student from Richmond, B.C., averaged 27.5 points per game and accounted for over 50 per cent of the Voyageurs’ points last weekend against the top two teams in the OUA East, Carleton (7-3) and Ottawa (7-3). On Friday night, the 5-foot-6 forward exploded for 34 points and also grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Lady Vees (4-6) to a 61-57 upset win over the nationally sixth-ranked Ravens. The OUA scoring leader resumed her stellar play on Saturday with a 21-point, 10-steal double-double in a 58-48 loss against the Gee-Gees.

Coulthard, a second-year geography student from Oakville, Ont., tallied 54 points over two games versus McMaster and eighth-ranked Windsor, including a record performance on Saturday against the Marauders. In a 93-84 setback, the 6-foot-2 guard scored 39 points on 14 field goals and eight free throws, tying the Laurier single-game marks for most points and field goals made. The talented sophomore was also solid last Thursday against the Lancers when he contributed 15 points and five rebounds.

The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades are the new team to beat in CIS women’s basketball. It marks the first time the Cascades top a national ranking, in any sport, since they joined CIS in 2006-07. Fraser Valley (9-1) moves up one spot to No. 1 despite not taking the court since the last Top 10 of the fall semester was released on December 4. The Cascades, who will resume Canada West conference play this weekend with home tilts against Saskatchewan (5-5) and Alberta (6-4), benefited from a sub-par showing by the Windsor Lancers at Concordia’s Reebok tournament over the holiday break (Dec. 28-30).

The reigning two-time CIS champion Lancers, who had led all six national rankings this fall, drop to No. 3 this week after going 1-2 at Concordia’s tourney, including a 63-49 win over McGill, a 75-74 overtime loss to previously unranked Concordia (now ranked No. 8) and a lopsided 72-41 defeat at the hands of No. 6 Carleton. Windsor regrouped last weekend as league play resumed in Ontario, improving its regular season record to 9-0 thanks to home victories over Laurier, 68-60, and Guelph, 87-54.

The Regina Cougars (9-1) also move past Windsor in the new Top 10 and now sit in second place. The Cougars kept a perfect 3-0 mark over the break at the Las Vegas Shootout tournament (Dec. 27-29), including wins versus Montana Tech, 50-47, Carroll College, 60-48, and Montana Western, 65-47.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Fraser Valley (9-1) / 442 points (17) / (2)
2. Regina (9-1) / 436 (11) / (3)
3. Windsor (9-0) / 416 (11) / (1)
4. Saint Mary’s (7-0) / 365 / (4)
5. UBC (7-3) / 237 / (9)
6. Carleton (7-3) / 220 (1) / (5)
7. Brock (9-0) / 209 / (10)
8. Concordia (4-1) / 192 / (NR)
9. Acadia (6-1) / 187 / (6)
10. Calgary (9-1) / 145 / (7)

Other teams receiving votes: Saskatchewan (110), Victoria (68), Ottawa (54).

MEN’S BASKETBALL
(regular season record) / votes (first-place votes) / (previous rankings)

1. Carleton (9-1) / 492 points (41) / (1)
2. UBC (8-2) / 445 / (3)
3. Acadia (6-1) / 327 / (2)
4. Fraser Valley (7-3) / 321 / (6)
5. Cape Breton (7-0) / 312 / (4)
6. Alberta (9-1) / 294 / (7)
7. Ryerson (9-0) / 233 / (9)
8. Windsor (7-2) / 230 / (8)
9. McGill (3-1) / 224 / (5)
10. Ottawa (9-1) / 138 / (10)

Other teams receiving votes: Bishop’s (54), Lakehead (50)