It wasn’t easy, but the UNBC Timberwolves got the job done.
Sergey Shchepotkin’s team held off a gritty UBC Thunderbirds effort and earned a 77-65 victory on Thursday at the Northern Sport Centre.
“This gives us a lot of confidence. Just hearing the name UBC and win in the same sentence, talking about us, is a great feeling,” said UNBC forward Laura Garmendia Garcia. “We saw they were a beatable team, so we were working harder and harder.”
Early in the first quarter, the Thunderbirds came out the hungrier, more assertive team, using repeated Kate Johnson rushes to break down the UNBC defense and take an early lead. The Timberwolves had an answer for that, fueled by reserve guard Anastasia Soltes and her deadly combination of speed and energy. The Calgary native netted a pair of fast-break buckets to give the T-wolves a 21-18 lead heading into the second frame.
UNBC scoring leader Alina Shakirova got out to a hot start in the quarter, sinking a layup and three-pointer, backed by a trey from veteran guard Lucy Guan for a 29-20 lead. But T-birds forward Dina Strujic worked the paint for a pair of tough baskets and T-wolves held the slimmest of leads, up 35-34 at the half.
The third quarter belonged to the Timberwolves, as they clamped down defensively on their opponents. Shakirova started things off with another trey, and senior post Emma vanBruinessen earned a pair of signature baskets under the hoop as the home team grew their lead, much to the delight of the crowd at the Northern Sport Centre. Soltes came up big off the bench again, wreaking havoc with fellow reserves Laura Garmendia Garcia and Sarah Kuklisin, to combine on some fast-break finishes. The T-wolves won the frame 23-11 and held a 58-45 advantage with 10 minutes to go.
“Usually we go into halftime talking about how in the third quarter we need to push it, get the lead, and keep the lead,” said UBC’s Strujic. “I don’t think we were prepared for today’s game. We wanted a win, but we have to dial in, be mentally tough, and get through it.”
The T-birds started to chip away early in the fourth, led by Johnson, a potential Canada West All-Star. Garmendia Garcia was up to the task, using her European footwork for some pretty post move finishes, and UNBC clung to its double-digit lead.
“I am getting used to U SPORTS, the team, and how things work here compared to back home,” said Garmendia Garcia, a native of Spain. “I guess I am happy I am getting used to this league, and I hope it shows.”
Every time the Thunderbirds applied pressure and showed signs of chipping away, the T-wolves responded. Shakirova proved why she is one of the conference’s top players, and was helped by the inside trio of vanBruinessen, Sveta Boykova, and Garmendia Garcia, who fought for every rebound and loose ball.
Their 10-point victory over the Thunderbirds evened the T-wolves’ fourth-place West Division record to 4-7. UBC (6-12) remained sixth in the division.
“We really wanted to win against them, so everyone was mentally prepared coming into the game,” said Garmendia Garcia. “Everyone was willing to give the best they had, and it worked out.”
Alina Shakirova led the way with 19 points, three rebounds, three assists, and four rebounds. Soltes added 14 points and four assists, while Garmendia Garcia had 13 rebounds and four rebounds. Johnson paced UBC with 17 points and four rebounds, while Strujic scored in double figures with 11 points to go along with six rebounds.
“They ran the court really well,” said Strujic. “Miscommunication on transition, and they really beat us inside.”
The UNBC women will be back on the NSC court Saturday at 1 p.m. to face the Trinity Western Spartans, followed by the T-wolves-Spartans game at 3 p.m.
