Lindsay Anderson named to UNBC T-Wolves' Wall of Honour

She was an inspiration to all her teammates, especially in 2008 when the prodigal daughter returned.

Lindsay Anderson went out as a champion in the pre-U SPORTS era of Canadian collegiate basketball with UNBC after helping capture the school’s inaugural provincials banner that still hangs in the gymnasium where it was claimed.

As of today (March 26), the women’s basketball legend, and her accolades on and off the court, will now be remembered forever as the newest Timberwolves’ Wall of Honour plaque.

Current UNBC Athletics Director Loralyn Murdoch recruited the Melfort, Sask., product in the summer of 2000.

And just like the new millennium, little did the program know that they just turned a page on a life-changing moment.

“Lindsay truly set the tone for UNBC basketball by building a locker-room culture that was all about striving for success,” said Murdoch.

“She really shaped this program. Her passion to represent UNBC was unmatched. She is the epitome of a Timberwolf.”

Anderson was immediately put on the competitive floor when she moved to Prince George, making an instant impact in registering a team-high 13.1 points-per-game average by the end of 2001… as a rookie!

The guard earned her first of two MVP honours from the lady T-Wolves, the second of which came in 2003 when the basketball gods favoured UNBC in more ways than one.

They propelled to their first-ever above-500 season, a 13-5 record, Anderson led the entire B.C. conference with a 15.8 points-per-game average and earned a First Team All-Star selection.

“Lindsay made all of us, including me, better players. That is what great teammates do; they make you better,” said former teammate Ashley Neufeld, who played two full seasons alongside Anderson.

“I remember being terrified of her in my first-year. I would happily go up against any guard in the league in games, but there I was, having to go against Lindsay in every practice. She was so fierce and determined.”

Anderson’s brains and commitment to education also recorded a key first in UNBC women’s athletics history with the title as a CCAA All-Canadian; she was named a second time in 2005.

She took a break in 2004 before suiting up once more the next year and led the Timberwolves to another glowing regular-season 12-6 finish, the women’s basketball program’s first-ever playoff victory and two more distinctions, a BCCAA Second Team All-Star nod and UNBC’s Best Defensive Player.

“Her passion was outstanding,” Murdoch added, noting Anderson’s abilities, despite the one-year absence raised the bar for future teams prior to the U SPORTS promotion.

“She had an extremely high personal standard, and she worked hard and set an example from day one. She did not like to lose, and there was not a player or situation that Lindsay would ever back down from.”

The T-Wolves then found themselves without one of their best players for two seasons as Anderson graduated from UNBC.

However, she still had a full year of eligibility and when the school was awarded the hosting duties of the 2008 BCCAA Provincials in the newly-built Northern Sport Centre, Murdoch convinced Anderson to come back to Prince George and try to hoist a championship trophy.

And that’s exactly what happened!

In a new position as the veteran leader among stars like Jaclyn Nazareno, a fellow Wall of Honour inductee, Anderson provided the right push towards the championship victory in front of the home crowd, 71-54 over Camosun College and was named player of the game.

The comeback was also rewarding on an individual level as she was named UNBC Women’s Basketball’s Most Inspirational Player, and it was the obvious choice for Coach Murdoch.

“Lindsay had all the characteristics we, as Timberwolves, strive for. She began on a team that was at the bottom of the league, and left with a Provincial championship. She was a devoted, natural leader and motivator. She battled injuries and ups and downs, and came out on top. Her performance on the court spoke for itself.”

Anderson is among the top 10 across multiple UNBC record books, including:

Third = 218 all-time T-Wolves women’s basketball assists
- Second among BCCAA players
Eighth = 914 all-time T-Wolves’ women’s basketball points
- Third among BCCAA players
Eighth = 11.5 all-time T-Wolves’ women’s basketball points per game average
- Fifth among BCCAA players

Since leaving Prince George, Anderson graduated with an MD in medicine from the University of Saskatchewan, she further studied orthopedic surgery at UBC and, according to social media, works at Vancouver General Hospital.

She’s the fourth women’s basketball alumna now on the T-Wolves’ Wall of Honour, joining Nazareno, Mercedes VanKoughnett and Vasiliki Louka, and the 13th of the 15-member inaugural class.

The full list of current inductees are as follows (in order of announcements):