16 sports February 2, 2011+ Over the Edge T-Wolves Spoil Blues Perfect Season UNBC sweeps league leader extending their winning streak to four BROCK CAMPBELL SPORST EDITOR ‘The mens team warms up before a game. Regualr season games rap up mid-February. After losing their last two games before the Christmas break the men’s basketball team has won four in a row including two over the Capilano Blues (CAP), formerly the top team in the BCCAA before meeting UNBC January 21st and 22nd at the Northern Sports Centre. The T-Wolves opened the second half of the season beating Quest in Squamish 86-57 and 82- 74. UNBC was back home the following weekend, where they had previously suffered both losses to play the Blues, likely the toughest opponents remaining on the T-Wolves schedule. CAP came into Prince George as the only undefeated team in the league, but they were overmatched by UNBC’s depth and athleticism. On Friday the T-Wolves won 79-69 and Saturday 90-80, and while the scores may seem close there was really no question that UNBC would win. The primary focus for the T-Wolves was shutting down CAP’s top player, point guard James Lum. As a rookie, Lum a quick point with tons of moves up his sleeve has been tearing up the BCCAA averaging nearly eighteen points and six assists a game. Sebastien Louis and Rob Rodriguez, UNBC’s best one-on-one defenders shared the priority of keeping Lum in check and did so successfully. Lum, who left the game late with an ankle injury that kept him out of the lineup the following night, committed seven turnovers and was held to nine points. The first game opened with both teams looking to push the ball and create chances off the break. Despite CAP’s sloppy play, which as a team turned the ball over twenty times, UNBC was unable to capitalize on several chances and led by only two at halftime, 37-35. UNBC would blow the game wide open in the third quarter exploiting CAP’s poor perimeter defense. The Blues had no answer for Louis and Inderbir Gill who continually broke down the D off the dribble. CAP also struggled to put the ball in the hoop, shooting thirty-one percent in the second half and going one for thirteen from behind the arc. The Third quarter ended with UNBC up 64-53. SHELBY PETERSEN The T-Wolves would extend their lead in the fourth quarter to eighteen, holding the Blues at fifty-three for five minutes in the final ten. CAP did manage to put together a short run that would bring them to within eight but that was as close as they would get. Gill had another solid night with nineteen points, seven assists and six rebounds. Big Man Dennis Stark posted a double-double with sixteen points and ten boards, and Louis chipped in with fourteen points and six helpers. Saturday night’s game followed much of the same pattern as the first. Both teams played the run-and-gun early and the T-Wolves failed to connect on several fast-break opportunities allowing the Blues to hang around. Five straight points by Gill would put the T-Wolves up 20- 17 as the first quarter came to an end but UNBC could only muster a four point lead at half ending the second up 43-39. Once again it was the third quarter where UNBC took over. This time it was Francis Rowe who caught fire, nailing four consecutive three’s helping the T- Wolves to a 70-52 lead going into the fourth. After Connor Mahannah of CAP stroked two treys in a row the Blues found themselves down by only seven with four to go. However, Gill would take over slashing to the hoop for an easy two and then banking home a sick turn-around jumper on UNBC’s next possession, giving the T-Wolves an eleven-point cushion and putting the game out of reach. Gill finished the night with twenty-six, Louis added twenty- one, and Rowe’s hot shooting gave him eighteen. With their wins over CAP the T-Wolves move into second with a 9-2 record. After finishing their four game home-stand against the Kwantlen Eagles January 28th and 29th, the T- Wolves travel to Camosun for a double-header February 4th and 5th. They meet up with UBC-O for a rematch on February 12th before ending the regular season against Columbia Bible College at home February 18th and 19th.