The UBC Thunderbirds men’s basketball team took on the Concordia University Stingers in a heated consolation final matchup on Saturday afternoon at War Memorial Gym, where the Stingers emerged victorious with an 87–80 win.
While there was no medal on the line, both the Thunderbirds and the Stingers showed a tremendous amount of grit and heart, battling not just for the win, but for pride.
The Stingers opened up the scoring in the first quarter after Jaheem Joseph cashed in a mid-range jumper. UBC’s Brendan Sullivan answered with a contested high-glass layup, setting the tone for this back-and-forth matchup.
Concordia's Alec Phaneuf got off to a hot start, building on the three-point shooting clinic he had put on all tournament. Phaneuf started the game shooting 5 for 5 from three, with 19 points in the first quarter alone.
UBC found success from beyond the arc as well, with 18 of their 23 first quarter points coming from three-pointers. Both teams were shooting above 50 per cent from the three as the quarter came to a close, with Concordia leading 28–23.
The second quarter saw both teams continue to feed their sharpshooters, running four-out, one-in offensive schemes to generate open looks. Joseph started to find his rhythm from the three for Concordia, while T-Bird Gus Goerzen got hot as well, shooting three for three from beyond the arc in the second quarter.
They both went into the half shooting above 40 per cent from the field, with Concordia maintaining their slim lead, 46–44.
Victor Radocaj opened up the scoring for UBC after the half, with a reverse layup to tie the game. Both teams started to cool off from three, forcing them to rely on their slashing abilities. UBC tried to capitalize on this with their advantage in height and length, but Concordia held strong on defence, ending the third quarter up 60–59.
Both teams had everything to play for in the fourth, with UBC looking to end the tournament in their hometown on a high note.
UBC fifth-year forward Fareed Shittu opened his final quarter in blue and gold with three back-to-back layups, giving UBC momentum. However, Concordia's Owen Soontjens and Junior Mercy responded with three back-to-back three-pointers, putting the Stingers back in the driver's seat.
Phaneuf and Soontjens found their shot again near the end of the fourth, hitting two crucial three-pointers to put the game out of reach, securing the upset 87–80 win for the eighth-seeded Stingers. With showcases of heart and dedication throughout the tournament, Phaneuf thought they demonstrated why they belonged.
“I think we showed the ‘Q’ needs some respect,” he said. “We’re a good conference and we can truly play against these guys.”
Phaneuf ended with 31 points, making it the highest scoring performance of the tournament up to this point.
“It’s just energy and hard work. You saw at the end — our chemistry… the love we have in the team just fuels everything. The guys are truly happy when we make shots,” said Phaneuf.
With the win, Concordia ends their tournament on a high note, securing fifth-place and taking down UBC on their home turf. After a disappointing tournament, winning only one game as the third seed, the T-Birds will have to re-group and turn their attention to next season.
This article is part of our 2025 Final 8 coverage. Follow us at @UbysseySports on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, as well as @theubyssey on TikTok, to follow our U Sports basketball coverage starting March 12.
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