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University of British Columbia Okanagan

Yousef at UBC
Rich Lam
Liban Yousef had his best game of the season on Friday night but it wasn't enough for the Heat to knock off UBC
86
UBCO Heat (M) BCO 0
94
Winner UBC Thunderbirds (M) UBC 0
UBCO Heat (M) BCO
0
86
Final
94
UBC Thunderbirds (M) UBC
0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
UBCO Heat (M) BCO 17 28 20 21 86
UBC Thunderbirds (M) UBC 23 25 23 23 94

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Nicholas Taylor

Men’s basketball unable to push past Thunderbirds in Vancouver

For the third straight contest, the Heat battled to the final buzzer but came up just short again, falling 94-86 to UBC

VANCOUVER, B.C.- The duo of James Wood and Sukhman Sandhu combined for 43 points to pace the UBC Thunderbirds to a 94-86 victory over the UBC Okanagan Heat men's basketball team on Friday evening in Vancouver. 
 
Liban Yousef (Edmonton) led the Heat, scoring a team-high 22 points off the bench. Yousef used a variety of ways to score the basketball, as he hit multiple three pointers, used floaters inside the paint and scored multiple mid-range buckets.   
Gus Goerzen (Roberts Creek, B.C.) was unconscious in the first half. When it looked like the Thunderbirds would pull away early, Goerzen hit four heavily contested threes to keep the Heat within striking distance. Goerzen finished with 14 points and six rebounds.  
Wood (Surrey, B.C.) would provide clutch buckets down the stretch in the fourth quarter to put away the Heat. He hit multiple three pointers and difficult layups in crunch time to keep the Thunderbirds at a safe distance. 
 
Although the Heat were bested by the Thunderbirds, this was their closest game against their sister-school since 2013 when they lost by two points 63-61.
 
TOP PERFORMERS
Liban Yousef – UBCO
The fourth-year guard was huge off the bench, providing an immediate spark in his 23 minutes of action. His shot creation and ability to finish in multiple ways gave the Heat a much-needed boost. Yousef finished with 22 points and four rebounds.
 
Sukhman Sandhu – UBC
The fifth-year big man from Surrey, B.C., was active all night for the Thunderbirds. His presence was felt on both ends of the floor as he finished with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists. His presence on the defensive end helped alter many of the Heat's shots and made it difficult for them when they wanted to get inside.
 
WHERE THEY SIT
The Heat fall to 5-12 and see their playoff hopes slipping away with another loss, as they remain a game out of the final playoff spot with three games remaining. The No. 9-ranked Thunderbirds improve to 10-5 on the season and are firmly near the top of the Canada West standings.
 
UP NEXT
The Heat will be back in action on Saturday, January 28 against the Thunderbirds in Vancouver. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. and can be seen on Canada West TV.
 
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