The University of Toronto Varsity Blues basketball teams host the Waterloo Warriors in their 2015-16 home opener this Wednesday, November 11 at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.  

The women kick things off at 6 p.m. followed by the men in primetime at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are on sale here. All OUA basketball games are streamed live on OUA.tv.

Following a thrilling season opener last Wednesday night against the No. 5 ranked Ryerson Rams, Toronto's men will look to keep their exciting action-packed game up against the visiting Warriors.

First-year guard Devon Williams put the OUA on notice, showcasing his ability as a perimeter threat, going 7-for-15 from behind the arc against the Rams in leading the Blues with 23 points, good enough to rank him fifth in the OUA in points per game.

Partnered with fellow guard Sage Usher, the combo will be a tough challenge for the Warriors to contend with. Usher continues to display a versatility that allowed him to excel last season as an OUA all-rookie team member. Pushing into the realm of a triple-double in U of T's first game with 12 points, six rebounds and eight assists, Usher currently ranks second in the OUA in assists per game.

For Waterloo, they will enter hostile ground looking to rebound from two tough losses against the Western Mustangs and Windsor Lancers to open their season.

The Warriors are led by a pair of guards in fourth-year's Jon Ravenhorst and Ben Davis. Ravenhorst has recorded over 20 points in the team's first two games, which included back-to-back games with six three-pointers made. As for Davis, he enters the matchup after an efficient showing in the team's last game against the Lancers, registering 20 points in just 16 minutes on the floor.

On the women's side, the Varsity Blues are looking to turn things around following a season-opening loss to the No. 4 Ryerson Rams last week.

Third-year forward Emily Piccini and second-year forward Jay Gaunt will be leaned on to lead the frontcourt for the Blues against the Warriors but will be using different styles to find success. Picinni has proven to have an uncanny ability to grind down low, gathering tough rebounds and battling for strong layups, while Gaunt stretches the floor for U of T, threatening any opposition from both the mid-range and beyond the arc.

Waterloo will look to do their damage on the perimeter with guards Emily Wilk and Jacqui Rodrigues leading the charge. Wilk has been a constant on the floor for the Warriors, registering over 30 minutes in the team's first two games of the season while averaging 11.5 points. Rodrigues has cracked double-digits by utilizing a strong attacking game.

Following the home opener, the Varsity Blues will hit the road as they travel to Hamilton to take on the McMaster Marauders on Saturday night (Nov. 14). 

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