The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack extended their winning streak to eight Friday night.
And it came at the expense of the host UNBC Timberwolves women's basketball squad with a 62-44 victory in their first visit of the season to Prince George.
The WolfPack improved to 10-1, and remain in first place of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Canada West Explorer Division. It was the Timberwolves' third-straight loss and they now fall to 1-10 and remain in last place in the division.
The first 20 minutes of the game appeared promising for the Timberwolves as they kept pace with the visitors from Kamloops. They only trailed 27-21 at half-time, thanks to a 9-4 run by the WolfPack during the last four minutes and 40 seconds of the second quarter.
TRU pulled away for good in the third quarter, capitalizing on their shots from inside the key and the three-point arc. They outscored the Timberwolves 22-13 to take a 49-34 lead into the final 10 minutes.
UNBC rebounded in the fourth quarter, tightening up their defence and allowed only 13 TRU points, but they couldn't complete the comeback.
The WolfPack scored 18 points off of UNBC turnovers.
Second-year six-foot-two forward Jasprit Nijjar led the Timberwolves with 10 points; rookie guard Sarah Buckingham tallied nine points, while fifth-year forward Sarah Robin grabbed eight rebounds and eight points.
Michelle Bos, TRU's rookie five-foot-10 guard, recorded her eighth double-double of the season, with 11 rebounds and 11 points. Fifth-year five-foot-seven guard Jorri Duxbury led the WolfPack with 12 points.
The two teams return to the Northern Sport Centre tonight for a rematch at
5 p.m.
Tonight's game also doubles as the annual Shoot for the Cure match-up, the CIS initiative that raises funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
For every three-point shot the T-wolves make in both the women's and men's games, UNBC's athletic department will donate $10 to the CBCF.
T-shirts ($20) will also be available tonight, with proceeds going directly to the CBCF.
The Shoot for the Cure continues Monday at 1 p.m. at UNBC's Winter Garden where second-year guard Kyle Pozniak from the women's squad and Devin McMurtry from the men's squad will cut their long locks and donate it to cancer patients.
The goal is to raise $500. Visit unbc.ca/timberwolves for more details and to donate online.
• Micheal Smith drained a shot from the top of the three-point arc with 1.8 seconds left in the game to give UNBC an 83-81 come-from behind victory over TRU in men’s basketball action Friday at the Northern Sport Centre.
TRU had trailed the entire fourth quarter until WolfPack guard Reese Priblisky tied the game with 9.8 seconds left on the clock when he sank two shots from the free-throw line to take a narrow 81-80 lead.
After a time-out, the Timberwolves took possession in their own end and ran down the clock until Smith stepped up to the three-point line and took the shot as the clock ticked down.
It was UNBC’s second-straight win and now improve to 5-6 in the Explorer Division. TRU is now at 6-5.
Guard Rhys Elliott led the T-wolves with 27 points, including 15 points from three-point range.
Franco Kouagnia followed with 24 points.
The rematch is at 7 p.m. tonight at the Northern Sport Centre
