UBCO Heat Sports report

The UBC Okanagan Heat men's basketball team hung tough against the top-ranked team in the nation on Saturday as they fell 85-70 on the road to the Victoria Vikes.

Lamine Conde stood out for the Heat with 18 points, including three 3-pointers, and contributed a season-high eight rebounds to go along with two blocks. Jalen Shirley made a notable impact with 12 points and he is now just nine points away from reaching 1,000 career points. Isaak Moore also made his presence felt defensively, matching Shirley with two steals. Jas Dhudwal was effective on the boards, leading the team with nine rebounds and adding two steals. Mike Adarkwah-Nti contributed offensively with 10 points and three assists.

The Vikes got off to a strong start in this one, limiting the Heat's offensive opportunities while running their offence efficiently as they built a 22-11 lead after 10 minutes.

The second quarter was a much closer quarter but UBCO could gain no ground on their opponent. Despite eight points in the paint, the Heat found themselves down 35-23 at the break.

After the Vikes found their offence in the third quarter to extend their lead, the Heat produced their best 10 minutes of the game in the final frame. UBCO outscored the U SPORTS No. 1-ranked team 31-24 in the fourth, as they capitalized on turnovers, scoring 14 points off turnovers, while also securing nine fast-break points. Conde was particularly strong in the frame, scoring 13 of his 18 points as UBCO got the lead down to as little as 13 but no closer in dropping their second game of the weekend.

The loss drops the Heat's record to 4-10 on the season while Victoria remains undefeated at a perfect 14-0.

UBCO will be back in Kelowna next weekend as they resume Presidents' Cup action against their Interior rivals, the Thompson Rivers WolfPack. Game one of their weekend doubleheader will be a School Day Game affair with tip-off slated for 11 a.m. with the Heat needing just one win to win this year's men's Presidents' Cup. 

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Women's basketball drops narrow decision to Vikes

The UBC Okanagan Heat women's basketball team lost a narrow decision on the road on Saturday afternoon, falling 70-65 to the Victoria Vikes.

Tsuki Tsuzuki led the way for the Heat with 16 points, including a strong opening quarter where she scored 10 points. She also contributed a season-best and career-high six steals, demonstrating a robust performance both offensively and defensively. Temi Aina was another key player, scoring 13 points. She was also impressive on the boards, securing nine rebounds, tying her season-high, which including a career-best five offensive boards, to go along with four steals, highlighting her versatility on the court. Kelsey Falk also made significant contributions, scoring eight points while securing five rebounds.

Fresh off a big win over Trinity Western two days prior, the Heat got off to a strong start as they led 22-19 after the opening quarter. UBCO displayed strong offensive performance, shooting eight-for-20 from the field, capitalizing on Victoria's seven turnovers. The Heat's bench came up big, scoring five points, while their defence secured four steals.

Victoria responded in the second quarter as they outscored the Heat by 10 to take a lead into the break. Despite forcing seven turnovers and recording four more steals, the Heat were only able to connect on four shots in the frame as they found themselves down 41-34 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Heat and Vikes were evenly matched, each scoring 16 points. UBCO got three-pointers from both Lauren Foullong and Aiko Williams, while the team's defensive efforts continued to shy, recording another seven steals. The effort kept the Heat within striking distance heading to the fourth.

The final frame saw the Heat close the gap to just one point after four consecutive points from Kiana Kaczur. However, they were unable to even the score and despite their best efforts late, dropped their first matchup against the Vikes this season.

The loss drops the Heat back into a tie for fifth place in the Canada West Pacific division with the UNBC Timberwolves with both clubs holding a 4-10 record. As for Victoria, they improve to 9-5.

With their four-game road swing over, UBCO returns to the friendly confines of the UBCO Gymnasium where they will face the TRU WolfPack (1-15) on Friday, January 31 as Presidents' Cup action resumes. The first game of the weekend doubleheader is set for 5 p.m. and a victory by the Heat will secure them the women's Presidents' Cup trophy for the fourth consecutive year.

Tickets for the game can be purchased at the door on game day. 

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Men's volleyball earns weekend sweep of Cougars on Graduating Seniors Night

- The UBC Okanagan Heat ensured they gave their lone graduating senior, Aaron Voth, a victory in his final regular season home game on Saturday as they held off the Mount Royal Cougars in five sets (20-25, 25-21, 25-21, 24-26, 15-11) at the UBCO Gymnasium.

For the second straight night, Zach Van Geel was at his very best, recording a season-high 43 assists, showcasing his play-making abilities over five games to lead the Heat to victory. Lucas Woelders also produced his best game of the season, firing a season-high 15 kills while Thys Weststrate had another big night with 15.5 points and 7 total blocks.

The first set of the match between UBCO and Mount Royal saw several shifts in momentum. Mount Royal gained an early advantage with a 3-0 run, including a kill by Ryan John which extended their lead to 4-2. UBCO attempted to close the gap with multiple kills by Ashton South and Weststrate, but Mount Royal maintained their lead through consistent offensive plays, including a decisive kill by Jovan Stepanovic which helped the visitors claim the opening set.

In the second set, the Heat started strong with van Geel delivering multiple assists, allowing South and Woelders to secure kills to give them an early 8-4 lead. van Geel would remain in the heart of the action, securing an ace to extend UBCO's lead to six at 12-6. The Cougars attempted a comeback with a late surge, including two service aces by Stepanovic, narrowing the gap to 24-21. However, a service error from Stepanovic ended Mount Royal's efforts, and the Heat took the set 25-21.

The third set saw UBCO pull ahead midway through the set with a series of successful plays, including a kill by Manuel at 9-7 and another by Lucas Woelders at 11-8. Despite a timeout called by Mount Royal at 12-8, UBCO maintained their lead, ultimately securing the set with a final kill by Weststrate to close at 25-21.

The fourth set saw UBCO jump out to a 9-5 lead after a kill from van Geel and an error from Stepanovic. However, Mount Royal surged back, tying the game at 17-17 following a service ace by Cody Hudson. The set remained tightly contested, with Mount Royal ultimately securing a 26-24 victory after a decisive block by Isaac Karstand.

The fifth set was close early on until the Heat went on a 6-0 run highlighted by kills from Sam Jablonski and Woelders. Mount Royal called a timeout at this point, but UBCO maintained their advantage, with van Geel securing the final point on a kill, concluding the set at 15-11 in favor of the Heat.

The win was a big one for the Heat as they improve to 9-7 on the season, one game back of the Trinity Western Spartans for fifth-place in the conference. It also moved the Heat to within a game of securing their third-ever Canada West playoff berth. As for Mount Royal, they now sit in 11th in the conference standings at 4-10.

Winners of three straight games, the Heat will look to keep their win-streak in tact when they head to Saskatoon next weekend to face the nationally-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies. The first game of the weekend doubleheader is set for Friday, January 31 at 5 p.m. Pacific and fans can catch the action live on CanadaWest.tv