VANCOUVER - Wins come in all different shapes, sizes, and colours for the no. 1 ranked UBC Thunderbirds (11-0). After a hot start set them down the path to victory on Friday over the UFV Cascades (6-6), the T-Birds had to summon a second-half surge to best the Cascades on Saturday winning 91-78 to remain undefeated this season.
Trailing 44-43 at half-time, the T-Birds came out of the break rededicated on defence, holding the Cascades to just nine points in the quarter while netting 27 to carve out a 17-point lead going into the final 10 minutes.
Another key to UBC's success in the third quarter was their ability to get second chance points.
Kyle Watson led the charge on the offensive glass with four offensive boards as UBC pulled down eight in the frame and scored eight points off those rebounds.
The visitors found a bit more success in the final frame but it wasn't enough to complete a comeback as a veteran UBC squad found a way to win after the slow start.
"Everything was going our way last night - we were getting the bounces and they didn't shoot the ball very well. We knew they would end up shooting better tonight and their five threes in the first quarter really set the tone early and gave them some confidence," said UBC bench boss
Kevin Hanson.
UBC was able to sway the momentum back in their favour during the third quarter with three consecutive defensive stands and a pair of three-pointers by
Josh Whyte and
Blain LaBranche to open the frame.
The T-Birds used those defensive stops to get their own confidence and went on a 13-3 run to take a lead they would never relinquish.
LaBranche ended the game with a team-high 23 points that included 5-of-7 shooting from downtown and Whyte added 21 points, five assists, and four rebounds to key the comeback effort.
Joel Friesen paced the visitors with a game high 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting and speedy point guard Zeon Gray added 17 for the Cascades in a losing effort.
It was all Gray in the first quarter as he notched 11 points including all three of his three-pointers. His hot shooting had the Cascades out in front 23-15 after 10 minutes but some long range sharpshooting from the 'Birds in the second quarter pulled them almost level at the half.
Trailing by as many as 13 two minutes into the second quarter, the T-Birds got consecutive three-pointers from LaBranche, Whyte, and
Alex Murphy to cut the UFV lead to seven with 6:27 in the half.
LaBranche hit another three with 3:23 to play and got UBC to within three. Back-to-back layups from Whyte and
Brent Malish then put UBC ahead for the first time with just over two minutes left in the quarter.
UBC increased their lead to two points with just seconds remaining, but Friesen hit three consecutive free throws with almost no time left on the clock to put his team up one at the break.
The T-Birds are on the road for the first time in 2010, traveling to Alberta to take on the Lethbridge Pronghorns and Calgary Dinos next weekend. The Cascades return home to host the Alberta Golden Bears and Saskatchewan Huskies.
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