KELOWNA, B.C. - The UBC Okanagan Heat men's basketball team secured a narrow victory over the Alberta Golden Bears with a final score of 69-68 at the Saville Community Sports Centre on Friday night. This victory marked the first-ever win for UBCO over the Golden Bears since joining the Canada West conference back in 2011-12.
Jalen Shirley led the Heat with a standout performance, scoring 17 points with a notable 80% success rate from three-point range. His contribution included four assists and five rebounds. Notably, Shirley hit two late three-pointers, including the game-winner with 23 seconds remaining, showcasing his clutch performance in the final moments.
Jeffrey Tezo also made a significant impact, matching Shirley's baskets with five successful attempts and adding 13 points to the team's total.
Lamine Conde was effective from beyond the arc, hitting four 3-pointers and securing seven rebounds while showcasing a strong defensive presence with two blocks.
Leon Schenker contributed 12 points on 62.5% shooting, including two 3-pointers, and added four rebounds to his performance.
The Golden Bears were led by Isaac Simon who poured in 30 points, shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from 3-point range. His performance included five 3-pointers and a perfect three-for-three from the free throw line.
The first quarter saw a balanced exchange between the teams, with Alberta taking an early 10-4 lead. Late in the frame, Conde connected on a three-pointer and a pair of free throws from Tezo brought the Heat to within five, trailing 18-13.
In the second quarter,
DJ Frye initiated the scoring for the Heat, followed by a 3-pointer from Tezo, closing the gap to 20-18. The Golden Bears would pull away but consecutive 3-pointers from Conde gave the Heat a narrow one-point cushion. However, a 7-0 run from the Bears helped them reclaim a five-point advantage at the half.
Despite some strong play from Schenker and Shirley in the third, the Heat were unable to significantly cut into the Golden Bears lead in the third quarter and they found themselves down by seven heading to the fourth.
Alberta would stretch the advantage to 10 in the fourth quarter but that's when the Heat came alive, outscoring the Bears 15-4 over the final seven minutes of the game. Tezo contributed crucial points with a layup with six minutes remaining, bringing the score to 64-56, and added a jumper soon after to further close the margin. The Heat would continue to chip away until Shirley hit two late three-pointers, including the game-winner with 23 seconds remaining, sealing a historic victory. The Heat outscored the Golden Bears 20-12 in the quarter, demonstrating strong defensive plays and capitalizing on Alberta's turnovers.
The win was a crucial one for the Heat as it moved them into a tie for the fifth and final playoff spot in the Canada West Pacific division with a 4-7 record, even with the Trinity Western Spartans. Meanwhile, the Golden Bears remain in seventh place in the Prairie division at 3-8.
UBCO will go for the weekend sweep on Saturday, January 18, when the two teams rematch in Edmonton. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. Pacific and the game can be seen live on CanadaWest.tv, presented by BioSteel.
