It was bound to happen sometime.
The UNBC Timberwolves just didn’t want to see it under their watch.
But they had a courtside view Saturday night in Kamloops, where the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women’s basketball won for the first time in 16 games this season, a 73-61 triumph over the visiting TWolves.
It was a crushing defeat for UNBC and the TWolves wasted a chance to gain ground on the UBC-Okanagan Heat in the race for the fifth and final U SPORTS Canada West Pacific Division playoff spot.
UNBC and UBC-O sport identical 4-10 records, tied for fifth place each with six games left.
The WolfPack (1-15) leaned heavily on the offensive touch of their seniors Priyanca Sundher and Danijela Kovacevic, who led their team with 26 and 22 points respectively.
Sundher’s outside shooting made a difference as she shot 6-for-9 from three-point land.
Second-year guard Viktoriia Filatova led the UNBC attack with a career-high 26 points. The 18-year-old Russian shot 10-for-19 from the field and hit four of her six three attempts. Sveta Boykova racked up 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists before she fouled out in the fourth quarter.
UNBC trailed 36-25 at the half.
The TWolves started the weekend Friday afternoon with a 76-60 win over TRU.
In the men’s game that followed Saturday in Kamloops, the TRU WolfPack took a 20-point into the second quarter and cruised to a 103-75 win over the visiting UNBC TWolves.
Six WolfPack shooters reached double figures, including forward Simon Crossfield, who totalled a game-high 22 points and had eight rebounds and four steals. Dami Farinloye picked up 15 points, Asher Mayan had 14, and Cyrus Harrington and Steve Stinson each finished with 12 points.
Evgeny Baukin, with 20 points, and Isaiah Bias, with 19, paced the UNBC offence and each hauled in five rebounds.
The TWolves (1-13) remained last in the Pacific Division, while the WolfPack (8-8), who beat UNBC 79-65 on Friday, moved into fourth place.
Both UNBC teams are at home this weekend at the Northern Sport Centre when they host the Fraser Valley Cascades at Brownridge Court Friday and Saturday
