Cyrus Harrison
Andrew Snucins
79
UBCO Heat (M) BCO 0
83
Winner Thompson Rivers WolfPack (M) TRU 0
UBCO Heat (M) BCO
0
79
Final
83
Thompson Rivers WolfPack (M) TRU
0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
UBCO Heat (M) BCO 20 23 12 24 79
Thompson Rivers WolfPack (M) TRU 24 21 13 25 83

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | TRU WolfPack

Clutch Mayan leads WolfPack to dramatic season-opening victory

QUICK FIRE
  • KAMLOOPS – Asher Mayan poured in 11 points in the fourth quarter as the Thompson Rivers WolfPack held on for a tight 83-79 victory over the UBC Okanagan Heat to start their season.
DIFFERENCE MAKERS
  • Mayan's 21 led the way for the WolfPack as the veteran guard knocked down four three-pointers in the contest. Cyrus Harrison added another 20 points in his 32 minutes of action, while Erin Chamble earned 11 points to go along with a pair of steals.
  • Playing all 40 minutes of the game, Jalen Shirley led UBCO with 21 points. Gavin Ashworth (15 points), David Usuomon (14) and Jas Dhudwal (12) all scored in double-digits for UBCO with Dhudwal also adding 13 boards for the double-double.
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • A back-and-forth game went right down to the wire. The WolfPack appeared to give themselves a little bit of breathing room at the start of the fourth quarter when they jumped out to a 62-57 lead but the Heat had a response. UBCO ripped off a 9-2 buoyed by three points from Ashworth, Shirley and Lamine Conde to snag a 69-66 lead of their own with five minutes left to play.
  • TRU, a team that tasted defeat in close games far too often for their liking last season, refused to go away. Asher Mayan, who missed significant time last season due to an arm injury, scored nine of the next 13 points in the game to spark a 10-3 WolfPack run that gave TRU a 76-72 edge.
  • Tough defence and clutch free throw shooting down the stretch allowed the 'Pack to pull out the 83-79 victory.
NOTABLE
  • The WolfPack forced UBCO into 24 turnovers while committing just ten themselves. This led to a 28-7 edge in points off turnovers for the hosts.
  • The win was the first time TRU has started Canada West play with a win since the 2019-20 season.
  • The victory kept the 'Pack alive in the battle for the Presidents' Cup, an annual competition between TRU and UBCO in the head-to-head matches they play in soccer basketball and volleyball. UBCO currently holds a 2-1 edge over TRU
QUOTABLE (WolfPack head coach Chad Jacobson)
  • We showed a lot of resiliency and toughness, there were stretches where things were going well and stretches where they weren't, but we just found a way to stick together and show resiliency and battle through those lulls together.
  • On the play of Asher Mayan I saw the guy that we all know he is. He's a tough, hard-nosed fifth-year guy that has played a lot of basketball in his career and it was only a matter of time before he started to see the ball go into the hoop, he's that good of a shooter. His coaches and teammates, we all have confidence in him so just happy for him to have the game that he did.
  • On the importance of winning a close game early We talk about how winning is a skill all the time and it's something you need to learn how to do. Last year we were in a lot of close games that didn't go our way so to be able to close one out early in the year is good for our group. 
UP NEXT
  • TRU will now hit the road for the first away game of their 2024-25 campaign this weekend when they face the UNBC Timberwolves in Prince George on Sunday.
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