USports Yearbook: UNBC Timberwolves vs UBC Okanagan Heat, 1/18/20
The USports Yearbook is an on-going series looking back at some of the best basketball games played by Canadian college teams in the 2019-20. This edition highlights a tense encounter between two of British Columbia's closest rivals on January 18th, 2020.
Less than five hundred miles separate the UBC Okanagan Heat and the UNBC Timberwolves geographically and, on this gameday, there was even less between them in the Canada West standings. All of this added to the emotion and tension going into what was would be two games in as many days between the teams.
The visiting Timberwolves' trip to Kelowna had so far proved fruitful, winning the first game of the double-header by fifty points. The next day, however, UBCO were not about to allow another home court shaming and gave it their all to prevent a second loss in a row when the teams faced off again the following afternoon.
Jordan Korol lifted the home side early on, but she or no one else on the Heat could stop UNBC's subsequent eleven-point run, which put them up by eight after six minutes played. UBCO tried to respond in the remainder of the first quarter but both teams hit a cold streak in the last three minutes of the opening quarter. Even so, at the end of it the Timberwolves had the seven-point advantage.
Maria Mongomo ignited the visitors in the second quarter, increasing their lead to double digits. Jaeli Ibbetson led UBCO's three-point shooters in closing the gap, which got bigger courtesy of Mongomo, Madison Landry and Emily Holmes, who put UNBC up fifteen at half time.
While Mongomo continued to be hard for UBC to contain when play resumed, Korol, Jaeli Ibbetson and Kasey Patchell slowly started to close the gap in Q3. Mongomo and Landry were quick to respond when Patchell hit a three to make it a two-point game with three minutes remaining in the quarter.
Korol followed by closing the gap to just one point with thirty seconds to go, but Emma VanBruinessen hit two from the line to ensure UNBC a three-point lead at the quarter's end and setting the stage for a fiery final-quarter showdown.
Madison Landry hit two successive three-pointers for the Timberwolves early in the fourth and Kelsey Firk responded in kind for UBC from the paint, followed by her team mate Alessia Brutto, who made it a one-point game with a layup with four minutes to go.
Ibbetson kept the pressure on UNBC, preventing their attempts to break away, before Mongomo was finally able to stretch the gap to five in the last two minutes. There was no let up from Ibbetson, though, who kept looking until she got the gap down to two with 32 seconds on the clock.
In the closing seconds the Heat regained possession and Ibbetson and Ana Evans both put up last-second low-post shots, but neither of them proved fruitful. UBCO had fought valiantly, but came up short, and UNBC had completed the weekend sweep of their closest rivals.
Jaeli Ibbetson led the Heat with 23 points while Jordan Korol finished with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. The game's stand-out was Maria Mongomo, who finished with 30 points and 16 rebounds for the Timberwolves, while Madison Landry scored 20 herself as UNBC headed back north still on a high from their 72-70 win over UBCO.
