The University of British Columbia Athletics

Vancouver, BC - The UBC Men's Basketball team battled through a grueling game to overcome the Saskatchewan Huskies 93-88 on Saturday night in War Memorial Gymnasium. The Thunderbirds controlled the vast majority of the game, only allowing the Huskies a fleeting glimpse of a lead during the end of the third quarter.
 
In their second home game of 2014, the 'Birds saw five players contribute double digits to the scoreboard. Tonner Jackson led UBC with a game-high 23 points, while Brylle Kamen was not far behind with 20. Kamen, who underwent and recovered from elbow surgery over the winter break, tallied a commanding 45 points over the course of the weekend.
 
Tommy Nixon, David Wagner, and Andrew McGuinness also made major offensive contributions with 18, 12, and 11 points.
 
The 'Birds came out gunning in the first half, utilizing a four-out offense to breakthrough the Huskies' energized defense. UBC shot a strong 65% from the field during the first quarter, giving them a momentum that carried through the second. Over the course of the evening, UBC would shoot 54% from the field, almost 10% higher than their season average to date.
 
Saskatchewan overcame an 8-point deficit in the third quarter to head into the fourth with a 61-60 lead; however, the Thunderbirds play was a testament to the team's resiliency as they rallied through the fourth quarter. The Huskies suffered as both Matt Forbes and Ben Baker fouled-out of the game with eight minutes remaining; UBC capitalized on the opportunity and pulled ahead with no intention of relinquishing the lead.
 
With the loss, Saskatchewan falls to 9-3, while UBC improves to 5-7.
 
Dadrian Collins and Stephon Lamar contributed 22 and 20 points for Saskatchewan. Trevor Severinski led the Huskies in rebounding with 8.
 
The Thunderbirds played tonight's game in honor of former head coach, Bruce Enns, who led UBC from 1985-2000. Coach Enns helped the 'Birds win four Canada West men's basketball titles, and in 1987, he was named Sport BC Coach of the Year. After the game, UBC head coach Kevin Hanson, a former player under coach Enns, noted that while "any win is a good win for us right now, but honoring Bruce Enns tonight with a victory is a special moment for me and him."
 
Despite suffering a tough loss Friday night against Alberta, the Thunderbirds returned determined to put up a noteworthy fight against Saskatchewan. In regard to the team's overall performance, Coach Hanson felt pleased: "I said last night that we needed to come out with a bit more passion and fire and I think our guys really did. I thought we competed hard, we got the ball inside to our post players better, and I thought our post players played really solid tonight."
 
Next weekend, both teams travel to Calgary for Friday and Saturday games. While the 'Birds will take on the Mount Royal University Cougars, Saskatchewan will face off against the University of Calgary Dinos.