Box Score Friday night at the Northern Sport Centre, the UNBC Timberwolves dropped a 75-63 decision to the visiting Victoria Vikes. Despite the loss, UNBC received a massive spark off the bench from
Summer Toor, who poured in a career-high 15 points. Mimi Sigue led the way for the Vikes with 18 points and 9 rebounds.
The Timberwolves came out with high energy to start the game.
Viktoriia Filatova turned a steal into a jump shot on the opening possession, and
Amrit Manak drilled a 3-pointer off a
Claire Huang assist to give UNBC an early 5-2 lead. UVic responded behind Abigail Becker, who scored 10 points in the quarter, but UNBC found an answer from deep. Toor checked in and made an immediate impact, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers—one assisted by
Aurora Cabrera and the other by
Hazel Phillips to keep the game tight. Late free throws from Phillips, Huang, and a pair from Filatova with just two seconds left gave the T-Wolves a 21-20 lead after ten minutes.
The Vikes surged ahead in the second quarter, utilizing perimeter shooting from Avery Geddes and inside scoring from Becker. However, UNBC refused to let the game get away. Toor continued her career night, knocking down two more triples, including a corner three assisted by
Katie Shchepotkina. Phillips fought for points at the line and in the paint, and
Lorenn Caceres buried a late 3-pointer, but UVic managed to take a 44-37 advantage into the locker room.
In the third quarter, the Vikes extended their cushion. Filatova continued to battle for UNBC, scoring on a drive and a jumper, while Huang showed grit by grabbing her own rebound for a put-back score. Manak added a jumper, but UVic's Sigue anchored the visitors' offense, helping them build a 62-45 lead heading into the final frame.
The Timberwolves showed tremendous fight in the fourth quarter, looking to chip away at the deficit. Caceres caught fire, draining two 3-pointers, while Cabrera scored on multiple possessions inside. The highlight of the quarter came when Manak was fouled while hitting a 3-pointer, converting the rare four-point play to bring the crowd to life. Toor capped off her stellar performance with her fifth three-pointer of the night in the final minute, but the Vikes held on for the 75-63 victory.
The two teams will return to the Northern Sport Centre floor tomorrow night for the rematch, with tip-off scheduled for 5:00 PM.
