UNBC basketball teams have home-court advantage to start 2019-20 campaign

Timberwolves’ road to the Canada West playoffs begins in November

UNBC basketball players Maria Mongomo (left) and Vova Pluzhnikov (via UNBC Athletics/Kyle Balzer)

Den sweet den!

For the first time since 2015, the UNBC Timberwolves’ basketball teams will start a Canada West regular-season in their home gym at the Northern Sport Centre.

The fresh schedule also marks a later start to the season with UNBC set to host the Victoria Vikes on the first weekend of November, 1 and 2.

As per timing tradition, all Friday home games will start at 6 p.m. for the women and 8 p.m. for the men, while all Saturday home games tip-off at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively.

UNBC will also end its season play on home-court, earmarked for Feb. 8 and 9, 2020 against the MacEwan Griffins.

WOMEN’S PROGRAM

The Lady T-Wolves are coming off a historic season.

They clinched a third consecutive post-season berth with a record of 11-9, the best in school history since joining Canada West in 2012, and won a playoff game for the first time ever.

They defeated the Trinity Western Spartans in Langley 80-78 to advance to the quarter-final series, eventually losing to Calgary in back-to-back games.

The rematch between UNBC and TWU is slated for Nov. 8 and 9 in the lower mainland, the first road trip of 2019-20.

Since the end of last season, the program has lost a couple of star players in Vasiliki Louka and Abby Gibb, but have signed four new players, including local products Jessica Nycholat and Isabel Fuller.

Two-time Canada West All-Star Maria Mongomo and Emily Holmes will be the fifth-year veterans.

MEN’S PROGRAM

The T-Wolves were eliminated in the wild-card knock-out game by the Fraser Valley Cascades in Abbotsford by a close margin of 67-59.

That rematch will take place in Prince George in January 2020, the first home series of the new year for UNBC.

UNBC is hoping to get into the playoffs for a third straight season, but they’ll have to try to do it without four of their graduating athletes; Jovan Leamy, James Agyeman, Vaggelis Loukas, and Austin Chandler.

In the off-season, the men’s program has committed three new players, including Team B.C. guard Dylon Matthews.

Saje Gosal and Anthony Hokanson will be the fifth-year starters for 2019-20, with Ukranian power forward Vova Pluzhnikov returning to the northern capital for a fourth year.