PRINCE GEORGE - On Friday night, the UNBC Timberwolves and UBC Thunderbirds battled until the final moments, before the T-Birds claimed a hard-fought victory. On Saturday, the visitors from Vancouver took care of business a little earlier, topping the TWolves 101-69 on November, 27^th, 2021 in Prince George. 
 
In the opening quarter, it was all Thunderbirds. Sukhman Sandhu scored five early points, and the T-Birds hopped out to a 10-0 lead, not allowing UNBC to hit the scoresheet until nearly four minutes into the game. The TWolves were on their heels from the onset, but veteran guard Vova Pluzhnikov settled them down with some poised playmaking and a pair of big shots. Grant Audu continued to make Tyrell Laing's life no fun, while Sandhu was the story on offense, scoring 13 points in the quarter. After ten minutes, UBC led 28-19.
 
"That was tough. I told myself I needed to think of my teammates and make sure they are staying engaged," said Pluzhnikov. "Even though we were down early, we need to make sure we move the ball and everyone gets an opportunity to be aggressive and score the ball. Give everyone a chance to get a touch on the basketball."
 
UNBC, needing a spark, failed to find a way to put much of a dent in UBC's defense. A lid formed over the basket for the TWolves, as they shot 4-for-13 in the second quarter. For the T-Birds, the good times kept rolling. Audu found his way to the cup for tough buckets, while Triston Matthews and Jack Cruz-Dumont came off the bench for a combined 13 points. At the half, the T-Birds held a 54-33 advantage, though Sandhu was lost for the game to an apparent ankle injury.
 
"It was a little shock. It was a surprise for us," said Audu, about Sandhu. "We know he will be okay. He is a soldier, so he will be okay."
 
The third quarter belonged to Audu, who used his length and athleticism to penetrate for buckets at the rim. The six-foot-five guard had ten points and four rebounds in the frame, but the Timberwolves did well to respond. Chris Ross showed why he is a fan favourite, hustling his way to six points in the frame, but at the end of the quarter, UNBC found themselves trailing 74-54.


 
"They kept us guessing with their pick-and-roll defense, and switched it up throughout the game," said Pluzhnikov. "It threw us off a little bit. But it came down to us executing on offense, and we didn't do a great job. You saw the result."
 
With the result no longer in question, UNBC coach Todd Jordan went to his bench, and UBC's Kevin Hanson soon followed suit. When the final buzzer sounded, the Thunderbirds had topped the TWolves 101-69.
 
Audu led all scorers with 23 points, to go along with six rebounds and six assists. Matthews added 15 points and three boards, and Sandhu added 13 points in limited action for UBC.
 
"It means a lot to me, playing both sides of the game," said Audu, postgame. "Making sure I take care of not only offense, but defense as well. I take it as an honour every time I am put on the best player on the other team."
 
For the Timberwolves, Pluzhnikov finished with 14 points and four helpers, while Ross added 11 points. 
 
The Thunderbirds, who now sit 8-0 on the season, won the rebounding battle 44-23, leading to a 16-5 advantage in second chance points. They also held a 68-22 edge in points in the paint.
 
"Undefeated is the plan, for sure," said Audu. "we are going to have a gameplan for Trinity Western, so hopefully we execute that and keep this going."