Friday night at the Northern Sport Centre, the UNBC Timberwolves dropped a 76-55 decision to the visiting UVic Vikes. Despite the loss, it was a celebratory night for the Timberwolves as Chris Ainsley made his return to the court after being sidelined with an injury. Ainsley was named Player of the Game, finishing with 11 points in his season debut. Tony Kibonge also had a strong outing for UNBC, tallying 13 points and 4 rebounds.
 
The Timberwolves started with excellent defensive intensity. Justin Sunga opened the scoring with a crafty jump shot, and Kibonge made his presence felt early, forcing a turnover and converting it into a bucket. A free throw from Miller Davies gave UNBC a brief 7-5 lead, but the Vikes responded with perimeter shooting from Ethan Boag. Cairo Wells knocked down a 3-pointer to keep UNBC close, and Isaiah Bias hit a late jumper, but UVic took a 21-12 lead after ten minutes.
 
UNBC came out flying in the second quarter. Danilo Gonzalez electrified the crowd with a spin move for a layup, then immediately stole the ball and found Ainsley for a bucket. Ainsley followed up with a jump shot, and Haukur Davidsson provided a massive block on the defensive end. Justin Sunga drained a 3-pointer to cut into the lead, but the Vikes maintained a 36-24 advantage at halftime.
 
The third quarter saw the Timberwolves mount a furious comeback. Trailing by 15, UNBC went on a tear. Cairo Wells hit a three, and then Kibonge took over. Kibonge scored on a jump shot, drilled a 3-pointer, and then stole the ball for an "and-one" layup. He added another jumper moments later, and Wesley Ainu'u hit free throws to cut the UVic lead to just 50-46. However, UVic's Ryan Gallagher hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to push the visitors' lead back to seven heading into the fourth.
 
Ainsley opened the final frame with a 3-pointer to bring UNBC back within four at 53-49. But the Vikes responded with athleticism down the stretch. Shadynn Smid and Tyler Felt threw down dunks to swing the momentum back to UVic, sparking a run that put the game out of reach. Gallagher led the Vikes with 15 points, while Smid added 12 points and 9 rebounds.
The Timberwolves will look to bounce back and split the weekend series when they host the Vikes again tomorrow night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM at the Northern Sport Centre.