VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds (14-2) got back to their winning ways with a 91-82 win over the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades (9-6) on Friday evening at War Memorial Gym. In their penultimate home game of the regular season, the T-Birds scored 44 points in the paint and led for all but 30 seconds of the game en route to their conference-high 14^th victory.
 
Standout big man Sukhman Sandhu led UBC with 21 points and eight rebounds – adding three assists and going a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line in 25 minutes of play. Grant Audu added 18 points and seven boards, James Woods put up 15 points, Brian Wallack had nine points with six boards, and Kyle Foreman totalled eight points and six assists in the win.


 
"Playing at home always makes a difference," said UBC head coach Kevin Hanson after the 'Birds returned to the friendly confines of War Memorial Gym to snap their short two-game losing streak. "I don't think we're playing great basketball right now. We need to get into a groove, but it's been tough and is only going to get tougher with the byes. I think we had some good plays in spurts, we had some good defensive stops in spurts, but we're giving up way too many points and that's something we need to address. Our mindset really needs to change, so we're going to look at things again. Obviously, you're happy any time you get a win, but we can't be satisfied with the way we're playing right now."


 
Zubair Seyed earned a double-double with a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Cascades, while Jamar Ergas had 14 points and two assists in the loss.
 
Sandhu scored 10 points for the 'Birds in the first quarter, as UBC broke a 10-10 tie by rattling off a 6-0 run midway through the frame and held a 27-19 lead heading into the second. Foreman and Sandhu executed a flawless two-man game for an easy bucket at 31-21 UBC in the second and Sandhu scored a put-back layup to maintain a 10-point advantage at 38-28. Jiordano Khan had back-to-back baskets for UFV to cut the deficit to nine, and Seyed capitalized on a UBC turnover to make it a seven-point game, but Lincoln Rosebush and Wallack answered with back-to-back dunks and the 'Birds went into the half up 50-42.
 

?? MBB | Dunk! The T-Birds are up 50-42 over @UFVCascades at the half! #GoBirdsGo pic.twitter.com/l0J2FCOJAc

— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) February 12, 2022

The Thunderbirds exploded for 28 points in the third quarter, with Audu scoring seven points in the frame to help lift UBC to a 78-60 lead after three quarters. A pair of Ergas jumpers brought the Cascades within 12 early in the fourth, and the visitors went on a 7-0 run to start the quarter. Audu ended the UFV run with two free throws at 80-67, and the 'Birds maintained a 13-point cushion until Seyed earned a hoop and the harm to make it a 10-point game at 84-74.  The Cascades were unable to build momentum down the stretch but scored right at the buzzer to close out the game – 91-82.


 
UBC will travel to Kelowna to take on the UBC Okanagan Heat on February 19^th at 3:00 p.m. (PT) before closing out the regular season at home against the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack on Wednesday, February 23^rd, at 6:00 p.m. (PT).
 
The Cascades are right back in action in Victoria on Saturday, as they face the Vikes at 5:00 p.m. (PT) and will finish their regular season with a two-game series with UVic on February 18^th and 19^th in Abbotsford.
 
All the Canada West action can be streamed live on Canada West TV – with T-Bird tickets available for free online.
 

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Game highlights

?? MBB | Friday's highlights vs UFV pic.twitter.com/jARFMUcWbU

— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) February 12, 2022