VANCOUVER - The U SPORTS No.4-ranked UBC Thunderbirds (9-4) made it three wins in a row to begin 2024, and five in a row overall, with a wire-to-wire 85-76 victory over the U SPORTS No.6-ranked Manitoba Bisons (10-3) at War Memorial Gym on Friday night.
 
The T-Birds scored on their first possession of the game and never relinquished the lead, pushing ahead by as many as 26 at one point. The Bisons made a big comeback bid in the fourth quarter, but UBC held on to close out the win. Thunderbirds head coach Kevin Hanson said he was pleased with his team's level of effort.
 
"I think our guys were super excited to play against an elite-level team," said Coach Hanson. "As a coach you put a gameplan together… and when the players feel that success, that just built our momentum and I think that's why that we got off to the great start that we did."


 
James Woods controlled the play for UBC with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists on an efficient 8-13 shooting. Fareed Shittu recorded 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals, while Brian Wallack put up 14 points and seven boards.
 
Simon Hildebrandt paced the Bisons with 23 points and four rebounds, while Daren Watts drained five three-pointers en route to finishing with 19 points – 14 of them in the fourth quarter – and five rebounds.
 
The T-Birds came out of the gates firing, jumping out to a 12-2 lead in the first few minutes of the game. Shittu led the charge, notching eight points and two steals in the opening frame.
 
Manitoba pushed back, with Hildebrandt scoring eight straight points for his team, but UBC maintained their advantage and ended the first up 23-16.
 
After a Tobi Akinkunmi triple made it 28-16, the Bisons made a mini-run to cut the lead to eight and force a UBC timeout. The Thunderbirds then immediately responded with a 15-4 burst of their own, capped off by an and-one from Woods.


 
Wallack energized the crowd with a three and a big dunk on back-to-back plays in the final minute of the second to make it 51-32 for UBC at the break. The Thunderbirds shot 58% from the field in the opening half and held the Bisons to just 38% shooting.
 
It was more of the same to begin the third, as consecutive layups from Shittu and Woods made it 62-36 for UBC's biggest lead of the night.
 
The Bisons continued to try to claw their way back, but the T-Birds held them at arm's reach, keeping a 69-48 lead going into the fourth.
 
Manitoba, however, suddenly sprang to life in that final quarter. A furious 18-3 run in the first five minutes of the frame cut the lead to just six, before Akinkunmi hit a massive triple – one of his four on the night – to give UBC some breathing room once again.
 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by UBC Men's Basketball (@ubc_mbb)

The Bisons still weren't done, making it a five-point game with just a minute and a half left, but a Micah Jessie floater as the shot clock expired, followed soon after by a fastbreak slam from Wallack, finished off the visitors. The 85-76 victory snapped Manitoba's eight-game winning streak and extended UBC's own winning streak to five.
 
The T-Birds now have a chance to tie conference win-leader Manitoba with another home victory on Saturday, as they remain in the hunt for a top four seed and first round playoff bye. Tip-off for the rematch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. (PT) at War Memorial Gym.