VANCOUVER - The UBC Okanagan Heat men's basketball team fell to the UBC Thunderbirds 105-79 during night two of their weekend battle at War Memorial Gymnasium.

Lamine Conde led the Heat with a remarkable 31 points, marking a career-high for the second-year forward. He accomplished this feat by shooting a career-best 10 field goals, including four three-pointers, and going 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. Conde's 31 points were the highest scored by any player in tonight's game across both teams and represent the fourth-most points ever scored in a single game in team history.

Another notable performance came from rookie guard Mike Adarkwah-Nti who was perfect from the free-throw line, converting all six attempts to finish with eight points while adding two steals. Jalen Shirley and Leon Schenker each added 11 points.

The game started with rapid play early on. The first quarter of the game between the Heat and the Thunderbirds saw UBC establish a lead with a mix of inside scoring and perimeter shooting. Despite Lamine Conde putting up a team-high 13 points for the quarter, the Thunderbirds maintained their momentum, finishing the quarter with a 31-20 lead.

In the second quarter, Conde was active, contributing with free throws and a notable dunk at just over a minute into the quarter. The Thunderbirds' Micah Jessie and Fareed Shittu made key layups and a three-pointer, respectively, helping the Thunderbirds maintain and extend their lead.

In the third quarter the Thunderbirds opened with a scoring run, highlighted by a three-pointer from Jessie at the start of the half, pushing their lead to 64-36. The Heat responded with consistent efforts, including a three-pointer from Jas Dhudwal at 41-67 and another by Isaak Moore to make it 44-69. Throughout the quarter, the Thunderbirds maintained control with effective scoring inside and beyond the arc, while UBCO made attempts to close the gap with contributions from Schenker and Adarkwah-Nti. 

In the final quarter of the game, UBCO started with a three-pointer by Moore early on. Shortly after,  Adarkwah-Nti made a steal, leading to a fast break layup by  Shirley, further closing the gap. Despite a late push from UBCO, highlighted by a three-pointer from Conde, the Thunderbirds maintained their lead, finishing the game with a 105-79 victory.

The Heat's record drops to 4-14 while the nationally ranked Thunderbirds improve to 13-5 on the season.

Next weekend the Heat are back on their home court for the final games fo the 2024-25 season as they face the No. 1 U SPORTS-ranked Victoria Vikes.  Next Saturday is also graduating seniors night where the Heat will recognize and celebrate their six graduating seniors, including Dhudwal, Jeffrey Tezo, Elan Kimpton-Cuellar, Jonathan Haughton, Gavin Ashworth and Imoudu Ibrahim. Tip off for the first men's game of the weekend is set for Friday, February 14th at 5 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door on game day.