The UBC Thunderbirds fought through a physical, low-scoring battle to earn their third consecutive victory of the season with a 70-64 win over the UFV Cascades at War Memorial Gym.
After a scoreless first half,
James Woods scored a game-high 20 points in the second half and finished 7-for-12 from the field and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Former Cascade
Sukhman Sandhu racked up 18 points and went 9-for-10 from the free throw line, while
Grant Audu put up 15 points with eight boards and a game-high four assists for the 'Birds.
Vick Toor notched a double-double for UFV with 18 points, 10 rebounds and three steals, and Dario Lopez scored 13 points and grabbed six boards as the Cascades suffered their first loss of the season.
"I think both teams struggled offensively tonight," said UBC head coach
Kevin Hanson. "It wasn't a pretty game to watch, and it was a tough game to coach, but it showed the will of both teams as we tried to fight through it. UFV was down a couple guys and any time that happens the rest of the team does their best to step up and play a little bit harder. It was a good learning experience from our perspective. We're still a work in progress. We didn't play as well as we could have – or should have – but in this league you take the wins when you can. There's going to be some ugly games, they all can't be pretty, but if you can win ugly that's a good sign too."
UFV jumped out to a 4-0 lead on a Kyle Claggett jumper before
Jack Cruz-Dumont put the 'Birds on the board in the first. Toor extended the lead to 9-2 midway through the frame, but Sandhu came off the bench and hit a floater to beat the shot clock, then drew a foul on a three-point attempt to bring the T-Birds back within a bucket. Sandhu was fouled yet again on a three-point attempt on UBC's next trip down the floor and knocked down all three free throws to give UBC its first lead of the game at 13-11. Aidan Wilson replied with an emphatic dunk for the Cascades and the 'Birds closed the first quarter with a 19-16 advantage.
Sandhu hit his only three of the game early in the second quarter and Audu scored a deep two to make it 24-20 T-Birds, but UFV clawed back and retook the lead in a low-scoring quarter that saw the 'Birds score just six points, and the Cascades score 11 as the visitors headed into the half up 27-25.
Woods' first field goal of the game was an early three to lift the Thunderbirds back on top in the third, and on the next possession
Brian Wallack solidified a steal with a two-handed slam. Suraj Gahir answered by knocking down a three for a 32-30 edge, but UBC began to move the ball and generated a wide-open three for Woods. Audu added to the lead by scoring back-to-back baskets for a six-point cushion that Woods extended to a seven-point lead on a layup at 51-44 after three.
UFV came out firing in the fourth with a quick 7-2 run to cut the deficit to two at 53-51, but Woods responded with a floater and Cruz-Dumont took a
Lincoln Rosebush block the other way for a layup. UFV fought back as Toor stepped through and laid it in at 59-54 and Lopez grabbed a board to make it a three-point deficit. Sandhu went to work in the paint and reclaimed a seven-point lead at 63-56 but was charged with his fifth foul and exited the game with just under four minutes left on the clock. Toor took advantage and drove through the paint for another layup at 65-62 and drew a foul on the next possession – scoring both free throws to make it a one-point game at 65-64 – but Woods drained a dagger three from deep for a two-possession lead with 1:11 remaining that held until the final buzzer.
"We've got to make a few adjustments," said Hanson ahead of the Saturday night rematch. "We'll look at the tape and see how we can execute our game plan better, but it's going to be another tough one tomorrow night."
The Thunderbirds close out their homestand against the Cascades on Saturday, November 5
th, at 7:00 p.m. (PST).
