Calgary, AB - UBC head coach
Deb Huband recorded her 400
th career win as the Thunderbirds closed out a tight game in Calgary to win 56-53. Huband, who is her in 19
th year in charge of women's basketball at UBC, has lost just 210 games in that span. Both totals include regular season games, playoffs and non-conference games.
For the second night in a row, UBC opened with an impressive defensive display in the first quarter and held on to complete the win. They limited Calgary's scoring options and held them to just 14 points in the opening period. Tamara Jarrett was limited to just one make from her first seven shots, as both teams came out and were intent on playing good defense. The Thunderbirds led by just two points after 10 minutes and it continued to be a tight, tense affair as it went into the second.
Brianna Ghali tied it at 16-16 early in the second quarter and there was then a full two minutes where neither team was able to register a point, until
Harleen Sidhu broke the deadlock with an uncontested layup. The game continued in a back and forth manner right until the final buzzer.
Kris Young also found it tough going in the opening half, she went 1-8 through two quarters but found it slightly easier going in the second half. She was a menace on the boards as usual though, and it helped her team as that part of her game was unaffected as she racked up 12 rebounds on the night.
Sidhu had one of her best weekends since joining the Thunderbirds from college in Nebraska. She grabbed 20 points in last night's showing against Lethbridge and tonight again led UBC with 20 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks in a tremendous performance. On a night when the rest of the team found it difficult to get their shots to drop, it was a huge relief for coach Huband that Sidhu was having her way with the other team at both ends of the floor.
Kristie Shells led the Dinos with 13 points, including an impressive three 3-pointers on just four attempts. Jessica Thielen grabbed 10 boards and just missed out on a double-double but added two assists, a steal and a block.
Both teams were held to lower than 40% on shooting for the night, and as is usual the team that won the battle on the glass went on to win the game. UBC outrebounded the Dinos 46-39 and most critically did not give up free trips to the line. Calgary went to the free-throw line just five times all game and had a poor night from downtown. They shot just 17% from beyond the arc but were persistent in their use of the deep shot, recording a massive 24 attempts.
UBC are back in their own gym next weekend as they welcome the UBC Okanagan Heat to town in the penultimate weekend of the Canada West season. This win takes them to 13-5 and sitting at the top of the Pacific Division with just four games remaining.
