It's not the start to the new year they were hoping for.
Both UNBC women's and men's basketball squads returned from Christmas break matching up with the Calgary Dinos on the road last night (Jan. 3) in the first of weekend doubleheaders.
The lady Timberwolves came into the game with a 3-5 record, while the men were at .500 at 4-4.
By Friday's end, both Dinos teams extended their unbeaten records in the 2019-20 season, downing UNBC 71-46 (women) and 94-70 (men).
Calgary's lady Dinos came out and showed why they're the second-ranked team in the country by jumping in front with 21-8 lead after 10 minutes.
A horrendous first half for the Timberwolves was led partly by the fact UNBC managed just four points in the second quarter.
“In the first half, we struggled to keep them off the glass,” UNBC’s Rebecca Landry said postgame. “They were able to force us into turnovers and win the rebound battle, so they had a lot of second chances.”
UNBC would come out with a better effort in the third quarter, putting in points they couldn't get earlier, but the Dinos were just too much and moved to 9-0 after beating the T-Wolves, 71-46.
“They are really good shooters from the outside, and they are great at finding the open shooter,” Landry added. “We need to be aware of their fast break, and focus on our defense.”
On the men's side the Dinos also performed to a level that proved why they currently hold 28-game winning streak in Canada West play and sit at the top of the conference standings.
The Timberwolves came out strong with Vova Pluzhnikov adding a pair of threes that helped put UNBC up by six points on the road.
The Dinos chipped away after a timeout, which left UNBC with a one-point 19-18 lead at the break.
Just like the women's squad, the men came out cold in the second quarter, giving Calgary a boost where they crashed the offensive glass and earned second and third chance points.
They converted their chances to take a 43-31 advantage heading into halftime.
Calgary continued to be strong down low in the third, which they would take over and finish the quarter up 68-51.
“We came out really strong in the first quarter, but they really turned the pressure up,” UNBC’s Saymon Loki said, who got his first career Canada West start on Friday.
“They really started to attack the glass and got really physical with our guards all the way up the floor.”
The duo of Foreman and Layton for Calgary took over in the fourth to give Calgary a 24-point win, 94-70.
“We need to take care of the ball a lot better,” Loki added. “If we cut down on our turnovers, that will go a long way. They are one of the best teams in Canada for a reason, but we will be ready to battle.”
