Over the Edge + March 16, 2011

sports Il]

T-Wolves Unable to Repeat as Provincial Champs
Men’s basketball team falls short at provincials, but will return to nationals

BROCK CAMPBELL
SPORTS EDITOR

Getting outscored 27-12 in the first quarter certainly

wasn’t the start the T-Wolves wanted in the BCCAA finals
against the number one seed Vancouver Island Mariners
(VIU). From the first ten minutes onward it was an uphill
battle, which UNBC fought admirably to overcome, but
unfortunately fell just short of defending their provincial title,
losing 96-90.

“We obviously would have liked to get the win,” said Head
Coach Todd Jordan. “We came out a bit slow and they hit

a lot of tough shots. We battled pretty hard like we have all
year, but VIU’s a good team and its hard to come back from
as far behind as we were against a team like that.”

VIU opened with a 10-2 run while the T-Wolves struggled
to find the bottom of the net going 4 for 16 from the

field. UNBC managed to pull within three at 15-12, but
the Mariners would finish the first quarter with twelve
unanswered led by Mike Wohlers three consecutive three
pointers.

UNBC started the second with new life and clawed their
way back into the game trailing by only four at halftime with
the score at 45-41. Senior guard Inderbir Gill, the T-Wolves
proven leader and BCCAA Player of the Year two years
running took command scoring eleven points in the second
frame, while Francis Rowe dropped seven of his twenty-one
points on the night.

Both teams traded hoops in the third. Gill continued to
pour it on, but was answered by VIU’s star and eventual

Inderbir Gill has received for the second year in a row BCCAA Player of the Year honours

tournament MVP Andrew Kaban, who scored ten of his
game high 29 points in the third quarter, giving the Mariners
a 71-63 lead heading into the fourth.

After some costly turnovers by UNBC that led to easy

VIU buckets, the game looked to be out of reach with the
Mariners up 75-63. However, the T-Wolves hung around
and got as close as two points after a Francis Rowe
baseline jumper made it 86-84. But that’s as close as the T-
Wolves would get.

Gill led the T-Wolves with twenty-eight points, seven
assists and five rebounds, along with Rowe’s twenty-one,
Sebastian-Kevin Louis added nineteen. For VIU Kaban led
all scorers with twenty-nine, Jacob Thom had twenty-four,
and Wohlers finished with eighteen.

Both Gill and Louis received All-Star awards for their
tournament performances. In UNBC’s semi-final win over
Capilano, Louis had one of his best games all season
leading the T-Wolves with twenty-three points and five
assists.

Nationals

Despite losing in the provincial finals UNBC has still
secured a spot at nationals. Unlike past seasons the
BCCAA was awarded two national berths this year rather
than one. With their second place finish the T-Wolves
clinched the wildcard spot given to the BCCAA. Therefore,
UNBC has a chance to defend its national title at the CCAA

ONLINE SOURCE

National Championships taking place March 17-19 at
Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario.

Last year UNBC, the outright favourite to win it all, brought

home the national championship banner after beating SAIT
Polytechnic from the Alberta Conference (ACAC). This year
the T-Wolves enter as the fourth seed and will face number
five seed the Lethbridge College Kodiaks. Lethbridge is

the other wildcard entry after having placed second in their

provincial tourney as well; nonetheless, the Kodiaks are the
second ranked team in the nation behind VIU.

“Lethbridge is a strong team,” noted Coach Jordan, “they’re
similar to us, a lot of depth and strong guard play.” Jordan
added that Lethbridge has a really talented shooting guard,
Morgan Duce, who the T-Wolves will have to key on. Duce
is the ACAC leading scorer averaging twenty-one points a
game.

For the T-Wolves, a win over Lethbridge will likely mean a
rematch with the number one seed Mariners in the semi-
finals.

“If we face them again we’re obviously going to have to
defend better,” said Jordan about possibly meeting VIU at
nationals. “We have to pressure them more, force them to
make mistakes and play our game.”

ONLINE SOURCE

Dennis Stark was named a BCAA 2nd team All-Star