After five years with the UNBC Timberwolves and nearly four full seasons putting up jump shots and setting picks on U SPORTS Canada West courts, Rebecca Landry’s competitive basketball career is coming to an end.
The 23-year-old Duchess Park graduate and her T-wolves teammates host the top-ranked University of Saskatchewan Huskies Friday in a season-ending weekend for UNBC at the Northern Sport Centre .
Although she would be eligible to play one more season wearing the green and gold, Landry is moving on to dentistry school next fall. Having completed her undergraduate biochemistry degree, she’s now finishing up her studies as an honours student.
In this, her final season, the five-time Academic All-Canadian has stepped out of the shadow of her three-years-older sister Madison to become the T-wolves’ top scorer and most accurate shooter. This weekend, her efforts to make the program successful will be saluted as the sole graduating player on her team.
“It’s been such a fun ride and I’ve just loved playing here for five years with my community and my teammates - it’s going to be really sad but also I’m happy with the work I’ve put in and I’m excited,” said Landry.
She was quick to point out it was her older sister who showed her what was possible playing university basketball close to home. Madison was a T-wolf from 2016-2021 before she moved on to the University of Calgary and through most of her career she was a prolific scorer at small forward. Her 1,166 points ranks third in all-time T-wolves’ history, behind Maria Mongomo and Vasiliki Louka.
“It’s just been really amazing having such a good role model in Maddy,” said Rebecca. “She’s been my biggest supporter as well as my mentor and she’s helped me so much. We’re different players. She was such a skilled scorer and really amazing with driving and drawing fouls and things like that.
“My role (playing the wing position) is similar but we’re different in that she was always the go-to and I’m a bit more of a team player in a way that I’m not the top scorer. I’ve just enjoyed what I can contribute to the team and happy that I can even be compared to her.”
Not counting the cancelled COVID season of 2020-21, the T-wolves made the Canada West playoffs three of Landry’s four seasons but they won’t get that chance this year. She’s done her part to emerge as one of the T-wolves indispensable leaders, just like her older sister.
“They are both players with high basketball IQ and this year Rebecca is showing great leadership and she’s making the right decisions during the game,” said UNBC head coach Sergey Shechepotkin. “She’s leading the team in points and (field goal) percentage and it’s been fun to work with her."
The T-wolves are on the court at 6 p.m. tonight. Saturday’s rematch with the Huskies starts at 5 p.m.
