KELOWNA – The UNBC Timberwolves men’s basketball program ended 2023 on a positive note, posting a tense 77-72 victory over the host UBC-Okanagan Heat Saturday.
Fifth-year sharpshooter Chris Ross led the charge for the visitors with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Eighteen of those points came courtesy of six threes which matched his previous Canada West best.
Ross was the offensive and defensive leader for UNBC. His double-double effort combined with his six successful threes, three assists and one steal made him the Earls Road Warrior of the Game.
Evgeny Baukin picked up 17 points and Justin Sunga had 10 points, five assists and seven rebounds.
Jalen Shirley shot a game-high 24 points for UBC Okanagan, while Jas Dhudwal pulled down 12 rebounds.
Less than 24 hours removed from a 94-66 victory over the Heat, Todd Jordan’s club wasted little time in putting their pedal back down to the metal. UNBC kicked off the game with a 10-0 run which was highlighted by a Ross triple off a smooth inbound transition from the UNBC side of the floor.
After the Heat posted their first basket of the quarter, UNBC answered with a 12-0 run en route to a 27-11 first quarter lead. Ross notched two of UNBC’s four first quarter treys while Baukin and Darren Hunter added the others. Ross and Baukin each had seven points while defensively UNBC held the Heat to just 3-for-20 from the field.
Baukin added eight more points in the second quarter on 4-for-7 shooting. The versatile Russian would lead all scorers with 15 points through the opening half for a 54-32 edge.
The UBC-O comeback bid intensified in the third as the Heat outscored the T-wolves 19-13. The Heat kept chipping way and certainly provided some nervous moments for UNBC in the final quarter. Shirley shot 4-for-6 and contributed 10 points of his team’s 21 total in the fourth to get within a single point in the waning moments of the quarter.
Spencer Ledoux supplied a clutch bucket from down low to make the score a 75-72 UNBC lead and Josh Gillespie then cemented the victory by drilling both of his free throws.
UNBC (5-3) will now head into their exam/holiday break in a three-game winning streak.
They’re back on the court at Northern Sport Centre on Friday, Jan. 5 against the Lethbridge Pronghorns.
