The UNBC Timberwolves made a game of it, for the first half at least.
But the UBC Thunderbirds poured it on with a second-half surge and there was no happy ending for the home side Friday at the Northern Sport Centre.
In the first game between the U SPORTS Canada West Pacific Division men’s basketball rivals since UNBC eliminated the T-birds in the first round of playoffs last year, UBC broke open a close 34-33 game and outscored the TWolves 49-21 in the final 20 to walk off Brownridge Court with an 83-54 victory.
Victor Rudocaj led the way for UBC with 14 points, while former TWolf Fareed Shittu hit for 12.
Josh Gillespie, in the penultimate game of his U SPORTS career, shot for 14 points, and had six rebounds, two assists and two blocks, Ben White put up 11 points while Isaiah Bias and Marcus Wilson each had eight-point nights for UNBC.
The T-birds shot 33-for-65 from the field (50.8 per cent) but hit only two of their 17 three-pointer attempts (11.8 per cent).
UBC improved its second-place record to 14-5, while the TWolves (1-18) remain last in the division.
The same teams meet again at 7 p.m. Saturday at the NSC.
In the women’s game earlier in the night, the league-leading UBC Thunderbirds (17-2) had no trouble dispatching the UNBC Timberwolves 79-36.
Keira Daly, with 27 points, and Mona Berlitz, with 20 points 10 rebounds and five steals, delivered standout performances for the visitors from Vancouver.
Viktoriia Filatova finished with 11 points, the only UNBC shooter to reach double figures. The second-year guard also had three steals.
UBC led 18-6 after one quarter, 34-20 at the half and 53-28 at three-quarter time.
The rematch is set for 5 p.m. at Brownridge Court.
Neither UNBC will advance to playoffs and Saturday’s game will end their seasons.
