The UNBC Timberwolves showed plenty of resilience on Saturday night in Victoria, erasing an early deficit and taking a halftime lead before the host Vikes pulled away in the fourth quarter for an 88-77 Canada West victory.

After trailing by six following the opening quarter, the Timberwolves found their offensive rhythm in the second, outscoring Victoria 29-21 to take a two-point advantage into the break. However, a strong third-quarter push from the Vikes and a decisive run in the fourth ultimately proved too much for Todd Jordan's squad.

Isaiah Bias and Evgeny Baukin connected from beyond the arc early for UNBC, but the Timberwolves found themselves trailing 13-8 midway through the opening quarter. Ryan Regault provided the early offence for Victoria, accounting for five of the Vikes' first 13 points.

A late Miller Davies layup brought UNBC within three at 15-12, but Dylan Gage answered with a triple to give Victoria an 18-12 advantage after 10 minutes.

The Vikes continued their momentum to open the second, scoring on each of their first three possessions to stretch their lead to 26-17. But the Timberwolves responded in a big way.

Chris Ainsley knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to spark the visitors' comeback, pulling UNBC within two at 26-24. The Timberwolves continued to find success from long range, connecting on seven of their first 13 attempts from downtown.

Sunga delivered two more triples in the later stages of the quarter, helping UNBC surge in front 37-36. The Timberwolves outscored Victoria 29-21 in the frame to take a 41-39 lead into halftime.

Bias led all scorers with 10 points at the break, while Sunga had eight. Four different Victoria players had seven points apiece.

Victoria came out firing once again in the third, opening the half with a 13-4 run to reclaim control at 52-45. However, Will Keyes continued to make his presence felt on both ends of the floor for UNBC.

The Timberwolves big man answered with a bucket and another emphatic block, and continued to deliver offensively as the quarter progressed. Keyes reached 16 points on the night, establishing a new career high, with a timely putback keeping UNBC within two at 62-60.

Keyes was also a force on the glass, helping the Timberwolves establish a significant advantage in second-chance opportunities. UNBC dominated the offensive boards, holding a remarkable 16-1 edge over the Vikes through three quarters.

Regault led Victoria with 15 points after 30 minutes, while Tyler Felt had added 11.

Keyes opened the fourth quarter with another basket, his ninth field goal of the evening, keeping the Timberwolves within two at 64-62. Unfortunately, Victoria answered with a decisive 13-4 run, building an 11-point advantage at 75-64 with four minutes remaining.

The Vikes maintained their separation down the stretch, outscoring UNBC 26-17 in the final quarter to secure the 88-77 victory.

The Timberwolves will now head to the Lower Mainland next weekend for a pair of road contests, taking on the UBC Thunderbirds on Friday before closing out the weekend against the UFV Cascades on Saturday.