On Saturday night, the UBC men’s basketball team secured an 87–79 victory over the University of Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg, sending them to the Canada West (CW) final for the first time in five years.
The third-seeded Thunderbirds went into the game undefeated in their previous six games against the second-seeded Bisons, although the teams didn’t play each other this season.
The ‘Birds started the game off with a quick 5–0 run, but Mason Kraus, Manitoba’s CW First Team All-Star, put in a shift with his eight-point burst to get ahead. Micah Jessie scored two three-pointers off the bench to tie it up, 21–21, in the first quarter.
At the start of the second quarter, the Bisons took an early lead with a 7–0 run. T-Birds Nikola Guzina and Fareed Shittu took over with a combined 12 points and 8 rebounds. Shittu showed off great athleticism in a play that started with a steal on the defensive end followed by an offensive rebound and an emphatic dunk.
The teams continued to trade points — and the lead — until halftime, which saw the T-Birds with a slim 42–41 advantage.
There wasn’t much separating the two teams in the first half, but the second half was a different story. The ‘Birds put together a 16–5 run to take a commanding 59–46 lead, using their size to drive to the net. The momentum seemed to stun the Bisons, who came together near the end to cut down the deficit to seven points heading into the fourth quarter.
With a series of three-pointers and free throws, Manitoba clawed their way back to a two-point lead with less than seven minutes left in the game. But the T-Birds put together an impressive 14–0 run led by Shittu to create separation from the home team. The Bisons attempted a late-game comeback but UBC showed exceptional game management to hold on for the 87–79 win.
The ‘Birds pulled through with a dominant performance from their front court. They won the rebound battle 51–39 and scored 29 second chance points compared to Manitoba’s 12. UBC also scored an impressive 50 points in the paint, highlighting the team’s strength driving in the key.
Shittu and Tobi Akinkunmi were key to the victory, ending the game with double-doubles; Shittu with 20 points and 14 rebounds and Akinkunmi with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
UBC’s next game will be the CW championship against the University of Calgary Dinos. The game will be played at War Memorial Gym on Friday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m.
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