Box Score Friday night at the Northern Sport Centre the UNBC Timberwolves Men (1-1) earned a thrilling 78-77 victory over the visiting Alberta Golden Bears (2-1). For a second straight game, Evgeny Baukin poured in a game-high 30 points, and added 10 rebounds and five assists for UNBC while Justin Sunga (12) and Miller Davies (10) also finished with double-digits for the hosts. Isaac Simon had 20 in response for the Bears.
 
Alberta came out firing, quickly building a 10-2 lead, but the TWolves settled in and started to answer back. Baukin got UNBC on the board, and the offense found a spark. Sunga dished out an assist on a Haukur Davidsson bucket and in doing so recorded his 200th career Canada West assist, joining Vova Pluzhnikov, James Agyeman and Tyrell Laing in the "200 club." Sunga added two more first quarter dimes, both on Isaiah Bias jumpers, bringing the score to 18-8.
 
The energy further shifted to UNBC when Baukin took over. First, he powered in a tough jump shot while getting fouled. Then, seconds later, he snagged a steal and thundered down the court for a massive fastbreak dunk, cutting the lead to 21-12. Davies added two free throws to make it 24-14, but Alberta's Simon finished the quarter with a pair of late baskets, staking the visitors to a 28-14 lead.
 
The T-Wolves opened the second with a pick-and-roll dunk from Davies. Baukin then immediately followed with a three, cutting the lead to 28-19. UNBC's momentum came from their defense as Danilo Gonzalez came up with two steals, and Baukin grabbed one of his own before flying down the court for a spectacular fastbreak dunk that brought the score to 30-21.
 
Another Baukin bucket pushed the gap to seven at 32-25, but Alberta answered with a few makes of their own to restore a double-digit lead with Caiden Kushnir making a jump shot with 30 seconds left on the clock. The T-Wolves went into the locker room trailing 44-31. Baukin led the TWolves in the first with 19 points along with four boards. Simon led the Bears with 12 first-half points while four Alberta players: Nate Waldron, Kyle Varner, Logan Powell and Kushnir all had four rebounds apiece.
 
Alberta opened the third quarter with a three, but the TWolves answered right back. Sunga hit a jumper, and Tony Kibonge drained a triple, and that would pave the way for UNBC outscoring Alberta 20-14 in the third and cutting the deficit to just seven points.
 
Baukin added four third quarter points, but Sunga was the catalyst. He finished the third with seven and added an assist and a steal. Ethan Egert had six of Alberta's 14 points in response and the visitors led 58-51 through three.
The fourth quarter was a thriller that featured several lead changes, and a swing that saw UNBC outscore Alberta 27-19.
 
Alberta's big guns did their part as Simon and Nash Semeniuk each recorded five in the final Q, but UNBC spread the ball around well and got contributions from all throughout their lineup in the final 10. Milan Pasquale drained two threes, Baukin supplied seven more to arrive at 30 for the second straight game, and Davies added four points, but two of them came when it mattered most.
 
With less than one-second remaining on the clock, Davies went to the free-throw line, needing one to tie and two to win.
 
The second-year big from Chilliwack calmly drilled both, and looked unflappable while doing so, and the. TWolves led 78-77 with one final Alberta attempt upcoming.
 
Kyle Varner's buzzer-beating effort fell short, and the TWolves stormed the court to celebrate their first victory of the season, and first ever home court victory against the University of Alberta.
 
The TWolves will look to complete their weekend sweep of the Golden Bears tomorrow night at 7:00 pm at the Northern Sport Centre.