VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds men's basketball team (11-0) returns to War Memorial Gym this weekend for a pair of games against the TRU Wolfpack (4-6) on Friday, January 21^st at 8 p.m., followed by a 5 p.m. tip-off on Saturday, January 22^nd.
 
The 'Birds return to home-court undefeated in conference play (11-0) after a proficient performance in Prince George Sunday defeating UNBC 93-74. It was the third matchup of the season against each other and the familiarity was on display in the first half with a back-and-forth contest. Defence fueled the third quarter leading to transition baskets off Wolfpack turnovers, extending their lead to 19 points in the final quarter to secure the win. Fourth-year guard Grant Audu led the way with 22 points while James Woods continued to shine by adding 21 points. Esaie Maurancy's season-high 15 points led the T-Birds second unit, which was a key to success outscoring the T-Wolves bench 39-9.

"It felt great to get back to business last weekend, it certainly seemed like it had been a long break," explained UBC Head Coach Kevin Hanson. "We knew we were going to be a little rusty but it gave us the opportunity to look at some game film and see what areas we really needed to focus on for this week in practice. It was great to get back in to our regular routines and get back to having competition."
 

 
After an extended period away from the court due to rescheduled games and the holiday break, the Wolfpack visit the Point Grey campus having lost their last three outings. Their most recent action saw them drop a close 78-73 decision against Trinity Western on Friday, January 15^th, followed by a 97-78 setback the next day. Third-year center out of Dramana, Australia Brad King averaged 20.5 points and 11 rebounds in the weekend sweep.


   
The T-Birds look to sustain their high-scoring offence of 88.1 PPG against a Wolfpack defence who rank second last in Canada West in opponent points per game (71.3). TRU hold opponents to 27.4 per cent shooting from three-point land and will try to slow down the 'Birds arsenal of shooters. Kyle Foreman's three steals per game is good for second best in Canada West. Defence will play an important role against a Wolfpack team who lead the league in turnovers per game (13.4).

"We have had a good week of practice and are looking forward to playing again in War Gym," added Hanson. "It's always nice to play and perform in your gym and in front of your own fans."
 
Tickets to Thunderbird home games continue to be free, but you must register online to access them.
Click here for more information and ticket availability.
 
This weekend's games will be streamed live on Canada West TV presented by Co-op.