UNBC's men's basketball squad went on a 13-1 run in the final three and a half minutes of the game to defeat the visiting MacEwan University Griffins 81-65 Friday night at the Northern Sport Centre.
It was the third-straight win by the Timberwolves who improved to 8-7 and solidified third place in the Explorer Division of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Canada West conference.
MacEwan fell to 5-10 and remain in fifth place in the division.
The Timberwolves had a 37-32 halftime lead but the Griffins kept chipping away in the third quarter, taking a slim 43-41 lead early on.
But UNBC took control in the fourth quarter thanks to clutch shots from Rhys Elliott and Billy Cheng. Elliott finished the game with 19 points, while Cheng tallied 14 points, including six from three-point range.
Fifth-year forward Devin McMurtry was once again a beast on the boards, grabbing 20 rebounds in the game to go along with his 14 points.
Franco Kouagnia also had a double-double, collecting 12 rebounds and a team-high 23 points.
Forward Keith Gerdes was the top-scorer for MacEwan with 18 points.
The two teams tip off again tonight at
7 p.m. at the Northern Sport Centre.
Women Timberwolves remain in last place
The visiting MacEwan University women's basketball squad snapped a two-game losing streak with a 77-63 victory against the host UNBC Timberwolves Friday night at the Northern Sport Centre.
The Edmonton-based Griffins improved to 11-4 and maintained their hold on second place in the Explorer Division in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Canada West Conference.
The Timberwolves fell to 2-13 and remain in last place in the division.
Friday night, the T-wolves only trailed 38-36 by halftime, but MacEwan pulled away in the third quarter on a 14-6 run in the first four minutes.
The Timberwolves narrowed the Griffins' lead to five points later in the quarter, but MacEwan maintained control of the game, thanks to the solid shooting from fourth-year forward Megan Wood who tallied a game-high 30 points, including 18 points alone in the second half.
UNBC's fifth-year forward Sarah Robin had a strong first half with 12 points, and finished the game with 15 points.
Vasiliki Louka led the Timberwolves with 16 points and seven rebounds.
After making 17 of 32 shots (53.1 per cent) from the floor in the first half, UNBC was only successful on 11 of 31 of its attempts in the second half.
The two teams clash again tonight at the Northern Sport Centre at 5 p.m.
