Playmaker. Gold standard. Leader. Champion.
Those are some of the words that could be used to describe Jaclyn Nazareno, who was one of several that took charge in 2008 en route to UNBC’s first women’s basketball provincial championship that will be forever remembered to this day.
The guard achieved many feats in her five-year collegiate career in Prince George, 2004 to 2009, but now those memories will be embodied forever as the latest inductee into the Timberwolves Wall of Honour.
With today also being International Women’s Day, in which we acknowledge the success of women across the globe, Nazareno’s qualities and achievements is no exception.
“Jaclyn was a leader, on and off the court, and she took a lot of pride in being a Timberwolf,” said then women’s basketball head coach now UNBC Athletics Director Loralyn Murdoch in a statement this morning (March 8).
“She was a role model, she trained harder than anyone, worked in the classroom, and loved volunteering with the youth in the community. And on game nights, she came to win. She epitomizes what being a UNBC Timberwolf is all about.”
In fact, that B.C. title by Nazareno and the lady T-Wolves was the first-ever sports banner placed into the Northern Sport Centre; 2008 was also UNBC’s first full season in the gym for both basketball programs.
The Maple Ridge product’s performances have become the test of time in the department as she’s only one of five to ever reach 300 points in a single season and 70 assists.
Her playmaking skills and bright personality made a quick impact upon arrival in the northern capital, even aiding in the careers of other future Timberwolves, like fellow Wall of Honour inductee Mercedes VanKoughnett.
“I always looked up to Jaclyn,” she explained.
“I remember her coaching me at camps, and she was always so positive with me. She understood the game so well and really helped me see the floor through the eyes of a point guard. I will never forget watching her lead her team at Northern Sport Centre every Friday and Saturday night. Jaclyn inspired me to be a better player and motivated me to push myself. I admired her fire on defense, and her ability to lead. I will always be grateful to her.”
That 2007-08 season was the career year for Nazareno, her fourth, that ended with a trip to the CCAA Nationals in Halifax, N.S.
Ahead of the B.C. banner, she averaged 13.3 points per game, good enough for sixth-best in the league and 4.7 assists per game, the best in B.C. and resulted in an 11-5 record for UNBC to lock up the number-two seed.
The T-Wolves ultimately beat Camosun College, by a convincing 71-54 score in capturing the BCCAA championship on their home court with Nazareno earning a tournament all-star plaque for her resilience.
Though the team came up short in Halifax, she played her heart out to a CCAA Second Team All-Star nod.
“Jaclyn was just outstanding overall,” added Murdoch.
“She really was our best defensive player. She took great pride in matching up on the defensive end, and she loved taking charges in big moments. She also ran our offense, and was able to make her teammates look good by putting them in great spots to execute.”
Other accolades Nazareno achieved were as follows:
- 2006, 2007 = UNBC Women’s Basketball MVP
- 2007, 2008 = BCCAA First Team All-Star
- 2007 = CCAA All-Canadian
- 2008 = UNBC Women’s Basketball Best Defensive Player
- 2008 = B.C. Provincial Academic Excellence Award
- 2009 = BCCAA Second Team All-Star
She also maintains a high status among UNBC Athletics department records:
- Second = 253 all-time T-Wolves women’s basketball assists
- First among BCCAA players
- Fifth = 988 all-time T-Wolves women’s basketball points
- First among BCCAA players
- Seventh = 11.8 all-time T-Wolves women’s basketball points-per-game
- Fourth among BCCAA players
UNBC says Nazareno has since returned to her hometown of Maple Ridge, where she’s now a teacher, wife to Sam and mother to Anthony.
She’s the second women’s basketball player to be inducted into the UNBC Timberwolves Wall of Honour and is one of 15 total alumni earmarked for the inaugural 2021 class.
Nazareno joins VanKoughnett, Inderbir Gill, Tofa Fakunle, Sidney Roy and Jay Gladish to have received a call from UNBC Athletics in the last several weeks.
