WINNIPEG - On a night when their shots weren't dropping, the UBC Thunderbirds put together a memorable performance at the free throw line to earn an 87-72 win over the Manitoba Bisons on Saturday.
UBC (12-2) was a near perfect 26-of-27 (96.3%) from the charity stripe compared to a 5-of-8 night from the host Bisons.
Alex Murphy led the effort with a 10-of-10 night as the fifth-year point guard finished with 14 points and five assists.
Murphy was one of five T-Birds to hit double figures.
Josh Whyte had a team-high 24 points, while
Kamar Burke,
Brent Malish, and
Doug Plumb added 14, 13, and 12 points respectively. Malish and Burke also anchored a strong effort on the glass for UBC with with 12 and nine rebounds as the 'Birds out rebounded the Bisons 47-37.
Manitoba was paced by Sean Maxwell with a game-high 25 points and he was an impressive 7-of-8 from downtown. The Bisons once again relied on their preference of the long range shot but beyond Maxwell, Manitoba was only 6-of-19 from beyond the three-point line.
UBC took control early in the first quarter but Manitoba hung tough in the second and a Maxwell three-pointer just before the break cut the 'Birds lead to 43-35.
In the third quarter, the Bisons limited the 'Birds to only 10 points and managed to tie the game with about two minutes remaining but never took the lead. It remained tight in the fourth quarter, with the T-Birds lead shrinking to a single point before a 7-0 run with under five minutes left made it a 10-point buffer. From then on, UBC was perfect at the line to seal the win.
The 'Birds return home next weekend to host the Calgary Dinos in just one of their two home series in the second half of the 2010-11 regular season.
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