It was quite simply one of the wildest basketball games you’ll see at any level.
The UNBC Timberwolves clawed back from a 26-point deficit only to suffer a heartbreaking loss to the Fraser Valley Cascades in overtime on Saturday by a 95-93 score.
The Cascades dominated the early portion of the game, racing out to a 43-17 lead midway through the second quarter.
However, UNBC began to chip away in the late moments of the first half, as Payton Tirrell made a three-pointer and a tough floater, while Fareed Shittu around the rim, trimming the Cascades advantage to 47-34 at recess.
“Our mindset was to chip away, one stop at a time. We didn’t shoot the ball well, but we started to get it inside. We put ourselves in the position and had to find a way to dig ourselves out,” said UNBC guard Chris Ross.
In the third quarter, UNBC cut the lead all the way down to nine points, as Tyrell Laing made a pair of three-pointers and Spencer Ledoux was a presence in the paint.
“It is contagious, as soon as guys get going. The bench was so fired up, getting everyone going. We were feeding off each other and the great defensive plays we were making,” said Ross, of the comeback.”
“I was feeling much more confident, for sure. The offense comes easier in those moments.”
The T-Wolves played with some fire in the fourth quarter.
A route turned into a back-and-forth affair as the game was knotted as the clock ticked down.
In the dying seconds, Fraser Valley made a deep three at the buzzer to knot the game at 84-84, sending the game into overtime.
In the final minute, UNBC trailed by a single point, but Chris Ross gathered his own miss and gathered a put back to give the T-Wolves a late edge.
However, a UFV (2-0) made a couple key shots shortly after to send the Timberwolves to 1-1 on the season.
In women’s action, the Cascades blitzed UNBC cruising to a 73-48 victory in Abbotsford.
Alina Shakirova recorded 22 points in defeat for the (1-1) T-Wolves while Julia Tuchscherer had a team-high 25 for the Cascades.
Both UNBC varsity teams are back in action Friday and Saturday against Thompson Rivers from the Northern Sports Centre.