VANCOUVER – The No. 2 UBC Thunderbirds shot 62 per cent from the field in the second half to power their way past the Mount Royal Cougars 96-71 on Friday night at War Memorial Gym.
BOX SCORE
After stumbling a bit out of the gate and falling back 10-3, the 'Birds heated up in a hurry, launching into an 18-4 run to finish the first quarter. Sophomore forward
David Wagner (Kamloops, BC) led the way, hitting all five of his shots in the quarter to pour in 12 points.
UBC led comfortably for most of the rest of the night, surviving a couple pushes from the Cougars that cut the lead down as small as four points early in the third. Every time the Cougars made progress, their frequent turnovers put the momentum right back in UBC's corner. Mount Royal coughed it up 33 times in the game compared to 15 turnovers for the 'Birds.
Wagner finished with a game-high 19 points, adding five rebounds and two steals. He also scored at least 20 points in both games last weekend.
“He's really developing. With the playing time he's getting, and being able to score both left and right,” UBC head coach
Kevin Hanson said of his second-year big man. “At the beginning of the season he was not really posting up and demanding the ball, but he's doing a better job of it now and I think he's got a lot of confidence and knows we're confident in him.”
The 'Birds also benefitted from a great effort by the rookie trio of
Conor Morgan (Victoria, BC) and point guards
Jordan Jensen-Whyte (Calgary, AB) and
Isaiah Solomon (Richmond, BC). The group combined for 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and all three were active defensively.
“I enjoyed watching our freshman play more than I enjoyed watching our experienced guys play,” Hanson said. “All week in practice the young guys beat up on the older guys and played with a bit more emotional fire. Sometimes that's a sign, with the older guys logging a lot of minutes, that fatigue is becoming a factor, or maybe a bit of mental tiredness. We certainly are addressing how to get motivated for games.”
That fatigue showed up on the free throw line for UBC more than anywhere else. The 'Birds were just 27 for 45 from the stripe, allowing the Cougars to hang around longer than they should have.
Brylle Kamen (Paris, France) was limited to only six first-half minutes due to foul trouble, but the talented big man still managed to be productive in the second, racking up 10 points, five rebounds and four assists as the 'Birds took control of the game in the low post.
“We're still establishing ourselves inside and pounding it inside. You've seen us adjust our game from being a perimeter-oriented team over the last few years to more of an inside-dominant force,” Hanson said.
Doug Plumb (Pitt Meadows, BC),
O'Brian Wallace (Toronto, ON),
Tommy Nixon (Vancouver, BC) and Solomon all scored in double digits for UBC as well.
For the Cougars, it was a balanced attack that saw six players take at least seven shots, and nobody take more than 10. Nick Loewen led the team with 12 points and seven rebounds. Awet Abraha had 11 points and James Lefebvre had 10.
With the win, UBC tightens its grip on first place in the Pacific Division. The 'Birds are three games up on Victoria at 15-2 on the year, with only five games remaining. The final two, however, are head-to-head with the rival Vikes, so they can't let up on the gas pedal yet.
UBC and Mount Royal wrap up their series on Saturday at 7 p.m.
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