CALGARY – Despite a strong start in their U SPORTS Final 8 opener, the Thunderbirds were undone in the second half by the TMU Bold.
 
Entering the game as the OUA champs and No. 2 seed at the tournament, the Bold hit 17 three-pointers including 11 in the second half. They had big offensive performances from U SPORTS Player of the Year Aaron Rhooms (24 points, nine rebounds), as well as Gabriel Gutsmore (23 points) and Kevin Toth (21 points, eight rebounds, eight assists).
 
No. 7 seed UBC had a balanced offensive attack with six different players scoring in double figures. That charge was led by Nikola Guzina (16 points, eight rebounds) and Holt Tomie (16 points, seven assists). Nylan Roberts also double-doubled with 13 points and 10 boards, while Tobi Akinkunmi was named UBC's Player of the Game with 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals.


 
The Thunderbirds dominated on the inside in the opening quarter, scoring more points in the paint (16) than the Bold scored total (15), while also holding the Ontario outfit to just 3-10 shooting inside the three-point line.
 
Eight different players scored for UBC in the opening 10 minutes, beginning with a Roberts midrange jumper and ending with a pair of Tomie free throws with less than 30 seconds on the clock, putting the 'Birds up 28-15 at the end of one.
 
Guzina continued the T-Birds' offensive momentum early in the second, scoring off a sweet spin move before grabbing the defensive board on the ensuing play and firing a three-quarter court pass to Akinkunmi, who dished it to Roberts for an open dunk.
 
The T-Birds led by as many as 20 at one stage, before the Bold started to find a little bit more of a rhythm. A dunk from TMU's Deandre Goulbourne cut the deficit to 14, but a Roberts three in the dying seconds of the half put his team up 55-37 at the break.


 
Despite the fantastic opening half from the 'Birds, the momentum changed when TMU came out firing to begin the third. They ripped off an incredible 22-3 run to take their first lead of the game off a three-pointer from Goulbourne, getting themselves into an offensive rhythm.
 
Needing to respond, the 'Birds got a shot in the arm in the form of a Raj Dhadda triple followed soon after by a breakaway dunk from Guzina. While UBC remained in front at the end of the frame, it was by just a three-point margin, setting up a tight finish.
 
Tomie and Akinkunmi, two fifth-year seniors playing in their hometown of Calgary, each came up with some big plays to begin the fourth, with Tomie drilling back-to-back triples and Akinkunmi setting up Karan Aujla on the inside before recording an emphatic block at the rim on Greg Dorsey.


 
Unfortunately for the T-Birds, the Bold continued to be on fire offensively and proved too difficult to stop consistently. Toth took over in the fourth, scoring all 21 of his points for the game on 7-8 shooting, 5-5 from downtown in the final quarter. That powered TMU to 34 points in the fourth overall, enough to nudge themselves out in front for a 97-91 win.
 
The T-Birds will now need to regroup ahead of their consolation semifinal matchup at 11:00 a.m. (PT) on Saturday. They will face Laval for a spot in Sunday's consolation final.