VANCOUVER - The No. 8-ranked UBC Thunderbirds men's basketball dropped their season opener Friday night, losing 78-72 to the Regina Cougars.
BOX SCORE
In the first quarter, UBC took some time to get into a productive team dynamic, and Regina utilized the opportunity to maximize their offensive opportunities. Though the 'Birds struggled with turnovers,
Tommy Nixon and
Jordan Jensen-Whyte continued to push the team forward, relying on quick passes and breakaways to turn the momentum back in UBC's favor.
Andrew McGuinness's shooting helped UBC get on the scoreboard; yet, Regina finished the first quarter ahead, 22-13.
In the second quarter, the game turned in UBC's favor. As passing and team communication improved, it to no surprise resulted in the Thunderbirds putting points on the board. Nixon and
Jordan Jensen-Whyte had 9 and 8 points going into the half, respectively.
Tonner Jackson and McGuinness played vital roles in creating offensive opportunities as well as putting on defensive pressure. Though the Cougars went into the half with a 41-34 lead, UBC outscored Regina 21-20 in the second quarter.
After the half, the Thunderbirds struggled with fatigue, as UBC only suited up eight players; whereas, Regina had 11. Regina took the momentum immediately after the half and remained relentless as the quarter progressed, at one point holding a sixteen point lead over the 'Birds. As the quarter drew to a close, UBC closed the gap to nine and took the momentum heading into the fourth.
In the fourth, the 'Birds fought gallantly to regain the lead from the Cougars. With a minute left to play, the 'Birds brought the game to within 6 points. As the final minute dragged on, several Regina players fouled out and UBC capitalized on the opportunity to close the gap with foul shooting. Despite UBC's valiant efforts, Regina ultimately came out on top, winning 78-72.
Offensively, Nixon led the Thunderbirds with 21 points; McGuinness followed with 15 and Jensen-Whyte contributed 10. Defensively,
Harpreet Randhawa led the 'Birds with 11 rebounds, while Nixon had eight and Jackson, seven.
Brenden Hebert led the Cougars with 22 points, while Brandon Tull had 14 and Will Tallman, 11.
Tomorrow evening, UBC will travel to Manitoba to play Brandon University.
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