Sarah Moxley was a force on Ontario basketball courts. Since her return to full health, she has been showing the same qualities here in B.C. with the UNBC Northern Timberwolves.
Moxley, a fifth-year post player but a first-year member of the Timberwolves, had another dominant outing Saturday night at the Northern Sport Centre. In a 94-57 win against the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Eagles, she hit for a game-high 18 points, hauled down 10 rebounds, had three assists and four steals.
Moxley, a 26-year-old from Sarnia, started her season with a stress fracture in her left foot. Then, she had to deal with a pinched nerve in her back. As a result, she wasn't physically able to play up to her capabilities.
Moxley has been feeling like her usual self for about six weeks now and the T-wolves have benefited. Since the Christmas break, she has been one of their best players.
"I am just amazed at the athletic ability that she has, and her ability to see the floor and to pull the rebounds down and score some key points," said Rachel Hulme, interim head coach of the Timberwolves.
Moxley, a league all-star and team MVP during her Ontario days with the Sheridan College Bruins, is happy and relieved she's back in form.
"Being in chronic pain to now being pain-free is amazing," she said.
"There was a point where I didn't feel like I was going to get back to where I am now. It feels great. I'm so happy that everyone can see how I can actually play -- that I can be an asset to this team instead of just sitting on the bench."
While Moxley gave the Eagles all kinds of trouble in the offensive and defensive paint, she had plenty of help from her mates. Fellow post player Erin Beckett contributed 15 points and six rebounds and guard Jennifer Bruce scored 11 points and added five assists. In fact, all 12 UNBC players saw floor time and all got in on the scoring. The team's individual stars are aligning and, in the big picture, that has led to a seven-game winning streak.
"We've really come together after Christmas," said Beckett, a Prince George product in her fourth year of eligibility. "We had some team discussions about what we wanted to change and we went on a team trip to Phoenix and we bonded and had some fun and changed our outlook."
At Saturday's halftime, the T-wolves led 44-29, an advantage they built largely through a 13-0 scoring run in the second quarter.
The Timberwolves -- who also beat the Surrey-based Eagles 76-43 on Friday night -- are now 10-3 this season and sit fourth in the 10-team B.C. Colleges Athletic Association. They have the same record as the third-place UBC Okanagan Heat and the second-place Vancouver Island University Mariners.
The Capilano University Blues, who were swept by the T-wolves in a Jan. 21-22 doubleheader at the NSC, are in first place with a mark of 11-2. The Blues beat the Mariners twice on the weekend, 72-54 on Friday and 83-75 on Saturday.
The Timberwolves will play their next three games on the road. This coming Friday and Saturday, they'll be in Victoria to take on the Camosun College Chargers. Then, on Feb. 12, they'll tip off against the Kelowna-based Heat.
The next home games -- the last ones of the season -- are Feb. 18-19 against the Columbia Bible College Bearcats of Abbotsford. The BCCAA provincial championship tournament is March 3-5, at CBC. The top two teams from the regular season will receive first-round byes in the playoffs.
