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University of British Columbia Okanagan

UBCO guard Jalen Shirley drives to the basket against UNBC at the UBCO Gymnasium
Will Thompson
77
Winner UNBC Timberwolves (M) NBC 0
72
UBCO Heat (M) BCO 0
Winner
UNBC Timberwolves (M) NBC
0
77
Final
72
UBCO Heat (M) BCO
0
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
UNBC Timberwolves (M) NBC 27 27 13 10 77
UBCO Heat (M) BCO 11 21 19 21 72

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Natalie Tsang

Men's basketball's second-half rally against UNBC comes up just short

In their final game of 2023, the Heat rallied from as many as 26 points but were unable to pick up the win against the Timberwolves

KELOWNA, B.C. - In a riveting conclusion to the 2023 season, the UBC Okanagan Heat men's basketball team saw their second half rally come up just short as they lost 77-72 to the UNBC Timberwolves on Saturday night at the UBCO Gymnasium.

The visiting T-Wolves gained control early, launching a 22-2 run to start the game, seizing a 20-point lead in the first half. Second-year Heat forward David Usuomon of Brampton, Ont., disrupted UNBC's momentum with a pivotal three-pointer, while also drawing a charge, and capped the quarter with a remarkable block.

Leon Schenker's (Vernon, B.C.) seven-point performance in the third quarter, where the Heat outscored the T-Wolves 19-13, ignited the spark as the Heat looked to rally in the second half. UBCO ended up closing the gap to a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Despite UNBC holding a significant 26-point lead at one point, the Heat clawed their way back to within 1 point in the final stretch but were unable to grab the lead in the dying minutes as they fell just short.

Elan Kimpton-Cuellar of Roberts Creek, B.C., showcased his efforts once again, surpassing 10 points for the sixth consecutive game this season. Jas Dhudwal of Surrey, B.C., continued to be strong on the boards, securing a game-high of 12 rebounds, maintaining an average of 11.6 per game so far this season.

TOP PERFORMERS 
Jalen Shirley – UBCO
The third-year guard hailing from Brampton, Ont., took the Player of the Game tonight, notching the highest point total on the board with 24 points as he shot 55.6 percent from the field, while adding four rebounds and three steals.

Chris Ross – UNBC
The fifth-year guard out of North Vancouver, B.C., tallied a total of 19 points and secured a team-high 11 rebounds in tonight's game.

WHERE THEY SIT
After this loss, UBCO end 2023 at 2-6 in the Canada West standings while UNBC improves to 5-3 after their weekend sweep. 

UP NEXT
The Heat will return to the court after the holiday break, as they travel to Victoria to take on the Vikes on Friday, January 5th. Game time is set for 8 p.m. and can be seen live on Canada West TV.
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