It was one of the wildest games in UNBC men’s basketball history. A 26-point deficit and incredible comeback. A buzzer-beater. A back-and-forth overtime. And, unfortunately for the UNBC Timberwolves, a heartbreaking loss as they fell 95-93 in OT to the UFV Cascades in U SPORTS Canada West action Saturday in Abbotsford.
In the first quarter the Cascades that came out the more energized team. Jordan Sekhon scored a quick seven points and UFV made eight of its first 13 field goal attempts, taking an early 18-9 lead.
The T-wolves went to the bench, looking to inject some energy into a listless start, as the home crowd became increasingly energized by the Cascades’ effort. However, UFV did well to maintain their early momentum, and led 25-14 after ten minutes on 61 per cent shooting.
The Cascades got off to a good start in the second quarter, stretching their lead to 17 on the back of post Kyle Claggett and his three early buckets. The shooting woes continued for UNBC, starting the game shooting 6-for-25 from the field as the deficit mounted.
The Timberwolves began to chip away in the late moments of the half, as Payton Tirrell made a three and a tough floater, and Fareed Shittu got to the rim with some success, but the first 20 minutes couldn’t end quick enough for UNBC. At the half, the Cascades led 47-34, thanks to a 36-16 advantage in points in the paint.
“Our mindset was to chip away, one stop at a time,” said UNBC guard Chris Ross. “We didn’t shoot the ball well, but we started to get it inside. We put ourselves in the position and had to find a way to dig ourselves out. (Vick) Toor was going downhill on us, so we were losing the point of attack and not helping. We gave up way too much easy stuff early.”
In the third quarter, the teams traded buckets, with Spencer Ledoux leading the charge for UNBC and Toor propelling the Cascades. The T-wolves cut the lead all the way down to nine, as Tyrell Laing made a pair of three-pointers and Ledoux continued to work in the paint. In the final minute, Vova Pluzhnikov and Ross each made treys, and UNBC found themselves down just four points after 30 minutes.
“It is contagious, as soon as guys get going,” said Ross. “The bench was so fired up, getting everyone going. We were feeding off each other and the great defensive plays we were making. I was feeling much more confident, for sure. The offense comes easier in those moments.”
The T-wolves continued to play inspired basketball in the fourth quarter, using an inspired commitment to defense to turn into transition possessions, capped by a Laing layup that gave UNBC the lead three minutes into the frame.
The tension was palpable in the gym, as a blowout turned into a back-and-forth affair as the game was knotted as the clock ticked down. Rohtash Mattu continued his strong second half and gave the Cascades fits with his range, making a big trey with three minutes to go to give UNBC a three-point lead at 76-73. A Kyle Claggett three-pointer for UFV made it a one-point contest, but Laing was there to extend the lead again, burying a corner three on a look from Pluzhnikov.
Trailing by three points with just seconds remaining, the Cascades made a deep three at the buzzer to knot the game at 84-84, thrilling the home crowd and forcing overtime.
The Cascades came out firing, energized by the buzzer beater, and scored the first four points of overtime. In the final minute, UNBC trailed by a single point, but cue the dramatics. Ross gathered his own miss on a trey and got a tough putback to give the T-wolves the late lead.
After a UFV layup gave the Cascades a one-point advantage, the Timberwolves got last possession. Shittu grabbed an offensive rebound and chaos ensued. Tons of contact ended up with a jump-ball under the hoop, and the scuffle in the paint ended up with multiple fouls, and essentially, the end of the game.
“It felt like it was ours,” said Ross, who collected 15 points and eight rebounds. “We turned it over at a bad time, and then they hit that three. It was tough because we fought so hard to get back into the game. In OT we were tired and battled but we couldn’t get it done. It was deflating. But going 1-1 this weekend, with a chance to win both. We look forward to what is coming up.”
Laing totaled 18 points, while Ledoux put up 13 points and 10 rebounds. Claggett led the Cascades with 18 points.
The T-wolves started the weekend in Kamloops with a 69-67 win over the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack. TRU visits UNBC this weekend with games Friday and Saturday nights at the Northern Sport Centre.
