VANCOUVER - The UBC Okanagan Heat men's basketball team gave the U SPORTS No. 5-ranked UBC Thunderbirds a scare on Friday night as they went shot-for-shot with their sister schools rivals but ultimately coming up just short, 85-80, at the War Memorial Gymnasium.
Leon Schenker was the story of the game for the Heat, leading all scorers as he poured in a career-high 24 points, achieving a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line and shooting 60 percent from beyond the arc.
Jalen Shirley also had a strong night with 18 points, making 8-of-10 free throws, and adding seven assists, six rebounds and 3 steals.
Lamine Conde contributed significantly with 17 points, hitting all six of his free throws, and secured eight rebounds.
Jas Dhudwal was a key player on the boards, grabbing 17 rebounds and adding three steals.
Mike Adarkwah-Nti was efficient off the bench, scoring 9 points on 50% shooting and making all his 3-point attempts.
Adam Olsen led the Thunderbirds with a team-high 23 points, connecting on 9-of-18 field goal attempts, including two 3-pointers. Nikola Guzina made significant contributions with 10 points and added six rebounds.
The first quarter between UBCO and UBC saw a strong opening from the Heat, with
Isaak Moore hitting a 3-pointer to start the scoring. Schenker came to play early as well, scoring 12 of the team's 17 points in the first quarter, going 4-4 from the field and 3-3 beyond the arc. Schenker's performance kept UBCO competitive. However, UBC responded with a series of successful plays, including a fast-break layup by Tobi Akinkunmi and a 3-pointer from Gus Goerzen. They also capitalized on UBCO's turnovers and fouls, pulling away to end the half ahead 26-17.
The second half began with a layup by Toni Maric of UBC, assisted by Micah Jessie, extending their lead to 28-17. Shortly thereafter,
Mike Adarkwah-Nti missed a jumper for the Heat, but the team maintained possession and eventually scored through free throws by Adarkwah-Nti. UBCO's defence tightened, resulting in several turnovers by UBC, including a steal by Conde, and the Heat capitalized with a fast-break layup by Adarkwah-Nti at 7:30, narrowing the gap to 28-20. The Heat continued to surge with Schenker scoring consecutive free throws and executing a key layup in the final minute, bringing the score to 40-41. Those plays gave Schenker 20 points in the opening half, which was more than he'd scored in a single game in his time with the Heat.
The second half began with UBC's Tobi Akinkunmi scoring a 3-pointer, assisted by Gus Goerzen, setting the pace for the home team. The Heat responded with
Jas Dhudwal's layup at 6:30, narrowing the gap to 46-42. A notable sequence occurred when UBC committed a series of fouls, with Brendan Sullivan accumulating three personal fouls, allowing UBCO to capitalize with free throws and reduce the deficit. At 1:37 in the third quarter, Adarkwah-Nti put the Heat ahead, 60-59, giving the Heat their first lead of the game since early in the 1st quarter. However, UBC's Victor Radocaj hit a 3-pointer late, concluding a tightly contested frame with UBC leading 64-61.
In the final quarter, Schenker narrowed the gap with a pair of free throws, bringing the score to 65-63. Shirley was active both defensively and offensively, contributing a steal and converting two free throws to bring the score to 67-66. However, UBC pulled ahead late, with key contributions from Akinkunmi and Nikola Guzina, pushing the score to 73-66. Despite a late rally by the Heat featuring a 3-pointer from Conde, UBC maintained their lead to come away with the five-point victory.
The two teams will close out their weekend doubleheader on Saturday, February 8 when the sister-school rivals tipoff at 6 p.m. Fans can catch the action live on CanadaWest.tv presented by BioSteel.
