KAMLOOPS – It was a much better showing that the night prior, but in the end the Thompson Rivers WolfPack men's basketball team wasn't able to pull off the upset in a 78-63 loss to the UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver.
The Thunderbirds, who move to a perfect 12-0 in Canada West play with the win, took the lead early and hardly looked back on the night, holding the lead for 37 of the 40-minute contest.
There was no quit from the 'Pack however. Despite trailing by as many as 18 points at times, the WolfPack cut the deficit to just four points after a
Brendan Sullivan three pointer late in the second quarter.
Sullivan led TRU with 20 points by knocking down 6-14 from the floor.
Simon Crossfield added 12 points and nine rebounds while
Asher Mayan collected the double-double with 10 and 10. The visitors tied UBC with six steals but outpaced the 'Birds with 14 points from turnovers.
Grant Audu, Sukhman Sandhu and James Woods fuelled UBC's offence with 24, 13 and 12 points respectively.
Richard Mageto went three for three from the floor to start the first for TRU, but the 'Birds kept pace and a deep Sandhu three made it 19-7 before Toni Maric dropped a triple of his own at 24-9.
Daniel Bost made it a 10-point game with a late three and the T-Birds led 24-14 after the first.
Audu knocked down a three at 27-16 UBC early in the second quarter before Sullivan responded with a triple to maintain the 10-point differential at 31-21 with just under six minutes left in the half. Crossfield cut it to seven with a layup for TRU and Sullivan brought the WolfPack within four with his second three as the T-Birds held a 34-29 lead at halftime.
Sandhu and Audu drained threes to extend the UBC lead to 42-31 in the third before Sullivan hit a triple at 44-34. Jack Cruz-Dumont found Woods for three and finished at the rim for a 49-34 edge, but Sullivan hit his second three of the quarter at 49-37 and Mayan cut the deficit to single digits with a three at 49-40. UBC bounced back with an 8-0 run late in the third and closed out the quarter up 59-43.
Audu reached 21 points midway through the fourth quarter on a strong take to the rim at 68-58 and the 'Birds continued on to the 15-point win.
The WolfPack will look to bounce back at home against the University of Victoria Vikes January 28-29 inside the Tournament Capital Centre.
