VANCOUVER – The most exciting night of the regular season is coming up on Friday for fans of the UBC Thunderbirds men's basketball team. The T-Birds host their archrival, and the defending national champion, Victoria Vikes for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off as a part of UBC's
Courtside Festival at War Memorial Gym.
The event, which also encompasses the women's game between the two teams starting at 5:30, will feature on and off-court games and prizes, an A capella group singing the national anthem, a Domino's pizza giveaway if the men hit nine three-pointers, and more!
"I was here as a player for the first Courtside Festival," noted UBC head coach
Phil Jalalpoor. "Back in the day when it started it was also against Victoria. We had a Courtside on my Senior Night too.
I have lots of good memories of the event, it's a special night for everyone around the program. It should only help us bring the intensity level and passion for the crowd!"
The T-Birds will then play their final home game of 2025 on Saturday when they host the UBC Okanagan Heat at 6:00 p.m. (PT), also the second half of a doubleheader with the women.
The 'Birds are coming off of their first taste of adversity this year, after losing back-to-back, tight games against the Thompson Rivers WolfPack at War Gym last weekend. Those were the first two losses for the team under interim head coach Jalalpoor, who says that there is a real benefit to the early season hardship for his still congealing squad.
"TRU did a good job of taking us out of our sets we've been successful with so far, they forced us into our second layer.
"I think it kind of showed that regardless of talent level, if you don't play with every single ounce of intensity then the game becomes difficult to win. That baseline level of intensity level, effort, whatever you want to call it, has to be there otherwise you become very beatable. That was a very good lesson, in that sense."
The team's 2-2 record comes amid a flurry of adjustments from last season, with an entirely new backcourt adapting to a new coach, culture and both offensive and defensive approach. UBC's increased focused on ball movement has been noticeable, as the 'Birds are third in the conference in assists per game.
"It's great that the new offence has shown in flashes, we're seeing glimpses of what we want long term," mused Jalalpoor.
"This will take a lot of time, a new system with a completely new roster. I'm happy that there have been moments, but then again there's a lot of room to grow."
Things don't get any easier for the T-Birds in their next test against the defending national champion, and undefeated, Victoria Vikes. The 4-0 visitors from Vancouver Island have not lost a regular season game in almost two full years, though the 'Birds nearly took them down in their last meeting at Vic in January, with the Vikes needing a buzzer-beater to pull out the two-point win.
"Most of their main guys are still there from that national championship team," said Jalalpoor. "The fact that it's been multiple seasons since they lost a game shows their consistency and caliber.
"This comes at an interesting time for us, with that first piece of adversity now behind us we have to challenge ourselves to bounce back, and there's no more difficult opponent do that against."
Following Friday's Courtside festivities, UBC plays its last home game for more than two months against the UBCO Heat. The T-Birds won all three games against their sister school in the Okanagan last season, as the Heat struggled to a 4-16 record. They sit at 1-3 so far this year.
"UBCO is always unpredictable, they almost got us on our home floor last year, it went down to the wire," concluded Jalalpoor. "If we don't play our hardest, don't have passion, and don't fight for each other, we'll be in for a tough night.
"But I think we'll be ready, we've learned our lesson, and we're going to turn it around."
Tickets for the
Courtside Festival may still be available
here. Tickets for Saturday's games can be found
here. Stream all of the action, live or on demand, on
Canada West TV.
