After a sluggish opening period, the UBC men’s basketball team managed to shake off the Halloween cobwebs and cruised to a comfortable 111-78 victory over the University of Fraser Valley Cascades on Friday night at War Memorial Gym.
Without the services of leading scorer Conor Morgan who suffered an injury in preseason, the ’Birds new starting lineup struggled to adjust in the early moments of the game. UBC looked to inject a frenetic tempo to start proceedings, however they coughed up possession on several occasions and could not convert clean looks near the rim.
The basketball gods were also looking kindly upon the Cascades early, answering a handful of prayers from deep late in the shot clock. Despite this, UBC’s defensive pressure began to chip away at Fraser Valley and it was only a matter of time until the floodgates opened.
As the second quarter began, fifth-year guard Phil Jalalpoor decided to put on his Stephen Curry Halloween costume, firing from all angles en route to an electric 16 points in the period. Jalalpoor has begun the season in a new role, spending a lot more time off the ball and being offered far more catch and shoot opportunities.
The luxury of having Jauquin Bennett-Boire on the roster has relieved Jalalpoor of his primary ball handler duties and granted him ample opportunity to become a menace offensively in a variety of situations. The German native showed his repertoire with an array of outside shots and dizzying moves from close range, most notably undressing the Cascades defence in the second quarter with a euro-step that would have made Manu Ginobili proud.
Luka Zaharijevic and Patrick Simon were also in a festive mood, gobbling up offensive rebounds like kids devouring their haul of trick or treat candies. The ’Birds made good on these second chance opportunities and steamrolled to a 54-29 lead by half-time.
In the second half, other faces decided to join in on the offensive party.
Third-year Taylor Browne — who surprisingly saw little time in the opening half — caught fire from three-point range. Browne made four out of five attempts from deep and finished the contest with 18 points, something that is becoming par for the course for the young sharpshooter.
The opposing styles of UBC’s big men, Luka Zaharijevic and rookie Grant Shephard, also proved an interesting combination on Friday. Zaharijevic, as always, was a bruising presence and made the gritty winning plays that don't show up in the boxscore. Meanwhile, Shephard played with incredible fluidity for a seven footer and displayed a deft touch around the rim. The two of them have split time so far this season, however it would be interesting to see how they gel with one another on the court.
Evidently, Coach Hanson is still trying to find his best lineups with a team that is boasting incredible depth — the ’Birds rotation of players aren’t making his life any easier.
Young players Anthony McNish and Grant Audu each brought an infectious energy to the court, aggressively driving into the paint and flying around the defensive end of the floor. Isaiah Familia was also solid in a new role as a starter.
On Saturday night, the 'Birds put on an equally convincing performance, taking down the Cascades 105-64.
If this weekend was any indication of what's to come for UBC, the battle for minutes is going to be hotly contested for the entirety of this season and UBC fans are in for a treat.
Big Baller of the Weekend
Congratulations to @UBC's @ChuckDai1031 on his first career @USPORTSca bucket. ???#GoBirdsGo pic.twitter.com/Kdu8nEXQqa
— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) October 28, 2017
This week’s Big Baller Award has to go to guard Charles Dai who secured his first points as a Thunderbird in the dying seconds of the contest. The little magician weaved into the lane and flicked home a lefty layup that sent the home crowd to its feet to close out the game. Dai’s performance was the most exciting two minute cameo since Will Ferrell appeared in Wedding Crashers — anyone who manages to send the crowd into a frenzy in that manner deserves the Big Baller Award.