Is it too late for the UNBC men's basketball team to advance past the regular season? Not quite but a loss yesterday evening (Jan. 25) didn't exactly help the cause with a 94-75 loss.
Coming into the game, the Timberwolves had a one-game winning streak and were looking to build momentum for the push to the playoffs.
The only problem? The UBC Thunderbirds had only lost one game, all season and were on a 14-game winning streak. They only sit behind the Calgary Dinos who currently haven't lost a game all year and sit at 17-0.
UBC showed why they're number two in Canada West standings.
Tyrell Laing did everything he could in the loss for the Timberwolves, dropping a team-high 19 points, including knocking down three three-pointers in the first frame.
“Ty has been great, really producing at a high level lately,” UNBC’s Anthony Hokanson says in a press release. “We have a bunch of guys who have the ability to score, and Tyrell has been stepping up and is taking advantage of his opportunities.”
The Thunderbirds used their size and were able to get what they wanted in the paint in the second quarter but UNBC wouldn't go away without a fight, only down nine heading in the break.
But after the break, things broke down for the Timberwolves.
MBB RECAP: @ubctbirds used a big 3rd quarter to top a gritty @UNBCBasketball effort tonight in Vancouver. Read all about it here: https://t.co/IuvJP7TF18 pic.twitter.com/sRVCJgumUo
— UNBC Athletics (@UNBCATHLETICS) January 26, 2019
UBC took over in the first five minutes of the third quarter, and the lead bloomed from just nine to 24 points for the Thunderbirds. Jadon Cohee was a major reason why for the home side scoring eight points and eight assists on the night.
“It is so tough to keep them out of transition, when they get moving like that, “ Hokanson adds. “With these guys, it seems like when one guy gets in a rhythm, the whole team gets in a rhythm. You really have to try to make sure none of their guys get going, and in that third quarter, we allowed them to get in a groove.”
UNBC would only muster 12 points in the third frame and were down 77-52 heading into the fourth.
Hokanson added 15 points and six rebounds on the evening. James Agyeman finished with 11 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Patrick Simon led the way for the Thunderbirds with 20 points and seven rebounds.
With the loss, the Timberwolves now sit at 8-9 on the year and the loss could prove crucial down the road for UNBC.
The Timberwolves currently sit ninth in Canada West standings, and there's a large log jam underneath them.
Manitoba sits just behind them with the same record at 8-9 and 16 points.
Victoria is only behind by two points with 14 as well as Mount Royal and UBC Okanagan holding the same tally.
And just behind them, Thompson Rivers sits with 12 points on the year.
Things will get quite interesting for UNBC with only three games remaining in the regular season.
They will tip off once again against UBC tonight (Jan. 26) at 7 p.m.
