Stu Walters / UBC Thunderbirds
VANCOUVER – After a game one setback the UBC Thunderbirds rebounded for a convincing 85-58 game two victory over the UFV Cascades to even their best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series 1-1 Friday at War Memorial Gym.
After dropping the previous night's decision 92-79 on home court UBC was able to reverse their fortunes with help from 45 percent field goal shooting and pull away through the second half for a 27-point victory.
For a second straight night, it was UBC's Grant Shephard scoring game highs in both points, 21, and rebounds with 10 while Jadon Cohee wasn't far behind pouring in 20 points and adding a game high six assists. Manroop Clair registered 16 points while Mason Bourcier chipped in with 12 points and matched the game high six assists.
The Cascades had two players reach double-digit scoring, leading the way was Mark Johnson with 19 points and six rebounds while Andrew Morris scored 11 points and Sukhjot Bains added nine points and a team high eight rebounds.
"I thought our guys played with an awful lot more emotion tonight," said UBC head coach Kevin Hanson. "I think they did a really good job of sticking to our game plan and on the offensive end sticking to where we wanted to get guys the ball and who we wanted to get shots for. I thought we were the aggressors tonight and defensively I mean that's a very good offensive team and them only hitting the 22 points in the second half was the difference, we were able to establish ourselves. They didn't get much in transition and the better our defence was the better our offence got."
Similar to the previous night it was a roller coaster first half beginning with the T-Birds jumping out to a quick start with help from consecutive drives to the basket from Cohee with four of his quarter high eight points to go in front 8-2. UFV would respond in similar fashion to game one with lethal long-range shooting at a 40 percent clip beginning with Sukhjot Bains draining the first of four three-pointers in the frame from the visitors closing the gap to 8-5. UBC would respond with an 8-0 run which included back to back three point plays, a trey from Bourcier while Shephard earned the hoop and the harm and a 16-5 advantage. The Cascades would answer back again by hitting three consecutive shots from beyond the arc courtesy of Sukhjot Bains, Johnson and Andrew Morris to pull within four points at 18-14. Cohee would close out the quarter the way he started it with consecutive baskets to give the hosts a 23-18 lead after the first frame. Shephard was just behind Cohee with seven points in the quarter while Sukhjot Bains led the way for UFV with six points thanks to two of four shooting from distance.
The second quarter saw each team score 18 points in what could have doubled as a three-point shooting clinic and this time it was the 'Birds who were slightly more efficient from outside matching UFV's first quarter 40 percent mark thanks to four of ten shooting. The Cascades weren't far behind in draining three of their nine attempts and a 33 percent clip. Once again Cohee paced UBC with eight points and his first of two three-pointers gave the 'Birds a 30-20 lead, minutes later a Shephard trey put the hosts up 33-25. UFV would then hit two straight from long range courtesy of Johnson and Sandhu to pull within four points at 35-31. UBC would answer back once again with Patrick Simon and Cohee connecting from distance to go in front 41-31 before Morris drove the lane and kissed one off the glass for the Cascades just ahead of the halftime buzzer to trail 41-36.
The T-Birds would open a twelve-point lead through the third period in outscoring UFV 19-12, Clair led the way with seven points which included his runner in the lane to make it 49-40. Shephard would add consecutive baskets inside the lane helping the hosts to a 60-48 lead after three quarters. Johnson added a quarter high eight points for the Cascades.
The T-Birds put the game out of reach in the fourth frame thanks to a 25-10 scoring disparity, highlighted by a pair of monster slam dunks right down the lane that brought the crowd to a fever pitch. First it was unlikely candidate Bourcier finding room to drive inside for a two-handed flush extending the lead to 20 points at 70-50. That was directly followed by Shephard getting some air time for another two-handed dunk, getting the hoop and the harm and completing the three-point play for a 73-54 lead. Clair would later add his first trey of the contest as part of his seven points in the quarter en route to a 85-58 win for UBC.
UBC's second leading scorer Jadon Cohee bounced back from his six-point effort in game one to make a difference with 20 points on the night, he says he and his teammates needed to play with more desperation.
"It was all or nothing, we gave everything we had." Said Cohee. "Yesterday their defensive game plan was to put four guys in the key every time I drove so for me today I had to get my jumper early and get going from outside and once I did that it opened up the lane and Shephard and Clair also got going."
The Canada Wests third ranked T-Birds and sixth ranked Cascades will meet again for the winner take all game three Saturday night with tipoff set for 7:00 p.m. at War Memorial Gym.
PHOTO: Wilson Wong / UBC Thunderbirds