After multiple weeks on the road, the U SPORTS No. 5 ranked UBC Thunderbirds (11-5) are back at home for a two-game set against the UBC Okanagan Heat (4-12) in their final home games of the regular season.
 
With four more games to play before the postseason, the T-Birds need just one more win to lock themselves in as the #3 seed for the Canada West playoffs. If they do so they will earn home court advantage in the Canada West Quarterfinals, facing off against a team from the Prairie Division.
 
It's been a roller coaster of a last few weeks for the T-Birds, which has included a double-overtime home victory over UFV, a buzzer-beater loss on the road at UVic, and a split in Langley against Trinity Western.

"This weekend we are hoping to gain some consistency, especially on the defensive side," said Thunderbirds head coach Kevin Hanson. "We are continuing to grow as a team and we need to work together on every possession."
 
One of the highlights through those ups and downs has been the offensive play of Adam Olsen. Since the calendar flipped to 2025, the second-year star is averaging over 19 points per game while shooting 53% from the field and a scorching 49% from beyond the arc. He's hit three or more triples in all but one game in that time.
 

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Two of UBC's graduating seniors are also ramping up their games over the last month. Brendan Sullivan is the table-setter at the point guard position, averaging just under four and a half assists and two steals a night in the new year. 
 
Victor Radocaj, meanwhile, is second in the conference in field goal percentage (61%) for the season. He's averaging right around 12 points and five rebounds off the bench so far this term, both of which are double his output from the first half of the season.
 
Those two are joined by Fareed Shittu and Micah Jessie as the quartet playing in their final regular season home games this weekend. Shittu ranks inside the top 15 in the Canada West record book for most rebounds all-time, across his five years split between UBC and UNBC.

"I am really going to miss our four graduating players," remarked Hanson. "They have all contributed a great deal to us and will be great ambassadors for our program and UBC. We look forward to celebrating their time with us post-game on Saturday."


 
Defensively, the Thunderbirds have climbed up a number of statistical leaderboards. The blue and gold rank first in Canada West in defensive rebounds (32 per game), first in blocks (5.5 per game), second in steals (10.5 per game) and second in opponent field goal percentage (39.2%).
 
Taking a look at their opponents for this weekend, the UBC Okanagan Heat currently sit in sixth place in the Pacific Division, and are eliminated from playoff contention. The Heat hosted the 'Birds in Kelowna in the final game of the first term, which UBC won 93-50.
 
UBC Okanagan is led by Jalen Shirley, a do-it-all guard who leads the team in points (16.5 per game), assists (4.2 per game) and steals (1.1 per game). He and Lamine Conde both shoot 40% from beyond the arc, and the Heat will need both of them to be rolling offensively if they're to pull an upset on the road.
 
You can catch the final Thunderbirds basketball home games of the 2024-25 regular season on Friday, February 7th, and Saturday, February 8th. The first meeting between the T-Birds and the Heat begins at 7:30 p.m. (PT) at War Memorial Gym. Saturday's rematch is at 6:00 p.m. (PT).