After giving one of the top teams in U SPORTS Canada West women’s basketball a run for their money, the UNBC Timberwolves head to Regina this weekend hoping to build off the momentum they created this past weekend in a pair of road losses in Victoria.
After losing by only four to the Victoria Vikes on Friday, 73-69, the TWolves and Vikes got back at it Saturday and in a game that featured 16 lead changes the Vikes ultimately triumphed 70-60.
But it was close almost all the way.
Victoria led by only a point, 41-40 at the half and gave up their slim lead early in the fourth quarter. Consecutive layups in the first minute of the quarter from 18-year-old Russian sophomore Victoriia Filatova put UNBC ahead 52-50 but the Vikes had an answer for that and outscored UNBC 20-12 in the final 10 minutes.
Abigail Becker, with 18 points, and Makena Anderson, with 16, led all Victoria shooters.
UNBC forward Sveta Boykova fired 13 points and six rebounds, while Filatova finished with 12 points and five rebounds.
In Friday’s 73-69 loss, Boykova shot a game-high 20 points, while Filatova and Sarah Kuklisin each collected 10.
Through four games this season, Filatova has averaged 15.3 points per game, 12th-best in Canada West, while Boykova ranks 13th with a 15.3 average.
Victoria went 27-for-44 from the free throw line, while the T-Wolves, who had just two fouls shots awarded the entire game, went 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, in men’s basketball, the Victoria Vikes flexed their muscles as the top-ranked team in Canada and UNBC was caught in the crossfire, losing 92-62 Saturday, after a 102-48 defeat on Friday.
Victoria native Diego Maffia, the reigning U SPORTS MVP, shot a season-high 35 points in Saturday’s game. Shadynn Smid, with 13, was the only other Vikes shooter to hit double figures.
TWolves forward Evgeny Baukin had 13 points in Saturday’s rematch, while Justin Sunga and Josh Gillespie each delivered 11 points and five rebounds.
In Friday’s game, Renaldo Robinson and Ethan Boag, with 18 and 17 respectively, paced the Vikes.
Baukin totaled 15 points, while Gillespie picked up five points and had 10 boards.
Baukin, in his third year at UNBC, is averaging 15.8 points per game, 12th in the Canada West scoring race.
Both UNBC teams will head to Saskatchewan for a pair of games this weekend.
The TWolves women (1-3) take on the Regina Cougars (1-3). The opening tip-off Friday is at 10 a.m. PST.
The UNBC men (0-4) will try to get their first win of the season, facing the Cougars (3-1). Friday’s game starts at 5 p.m. PST.
