VANCOUVER – There's something in the air on Senior Night.
At least, that seems to be the case for the UBC Men's Basketball program, who for the third straight year recorded their highest scoring total of the regular season in that final home game.
This time around, it was a 104-84 win over the UNBC Timberwolves, improving the team's record to 14-4 and clinching homecourt advantage in the first round of the Canada West playoffs.
The UBC offence was electric for much of the night, shooting 50% from the field overall and hitting 13 three-pointers. 26 of the 39 made field goals were assisted, with
Holt Tomie leading the way in that category with eight dimes.
"I think the ball was moving really well in the first half," said T-Birds bench boss
Phil Jalalpoor. "There were the assist numbers that we like, and the collective basketball. We kept the pace high so that was really solid."
All four of the T-Birds' graduating seniors who played tonight scored in double figures, led by
Nikola Guzina who tallied 21 points and six rebounds.
Tobi Akinkunmi scored a season-high 17 points while also grabbing five steals, Tomie scored 12 and
Gus Goerzen added 10. Also taking part in their final regular season home game were
Toni Maric and
Juan Navarro
Justin Sunga was dynamite for the Timberwolves with 20 points, five rebounds and nine assists, while Vancouver native Chris Ainsley had 15 points and seven boards.
It was those two players who helped stake their team out to the early lead with a series of threes, including a four-point play from Ainsley. But the Thunderbirds started to rain threes of their own as the first half went along, especially in the second quarter.
After
Nylan Roberts, Goerzen and
Raj Dhadda all drilled triples in quick succession from the same spot on the court, the 'Birds found themselves up 39-31. The Timberwolves pushed back, cutting the deficit down to just three, but another barrage from beyond the arc extended the UBC lead out to double digits.
The third quarter is where the Thunderbirds found true separation, in a run keyed by their bench. Dhadda in particular was a highlight, with a two-minute stretch where he scored or assisted on 12 straight UBC points. By the time
Karan Aujla threw down a dunk following a
Zeru Abera steal, the T-Birds were up 84-65.
The gap remained consistent in the final frame, with the cherry on top coming when Tomie hit Akinkunmi for an alley-oop slam in transition to break the season-high for points as a team.
Following the feel-good win, the Thunderbirds know they will be back at home for their postseason opener in two weeks. They'll also have the chance to fight for the top seed in the Pacific Division next weekend, when they travel to Victoria for the final two games of the regular season.
"Obviously as a coach you always want more," said Jalalpoor on whether he feels the T-Birds are ready for the postseason. "It's up to us. We have to keep improving, keep putting ourselves on that path to be in a good position. If we do it, I think we'll be hard to play against."
