Steve Hanson, SFU coach: “The interest and support from the fans was huge for this game. It takes both teams to want to play to have this kind of crowd. We have to do something like this every year. It was extraordinary.”
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A packed crowd of 1,600 watched SFU beat the UBC Thunderbirds 90-82 in men’s basketball at SFU’s West Gymnasium on Saturday in the first meeting between the two programs since 2015.
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SFU calls it the first sold in this second incarnation of the West Gym, which is in its sixteenth year. SFU is also calling the exhibition contest a Buchanan Cup victory. That had been the trophy SFU and UBC contested when they played annually, suggesting there is some hope that Saturday will be the first of a revival.
Scheduling games has been difficult since SFU moved from the Canadian Western Conference to the NCAA Division. II in 2010. UBC continues to be a member of Canada West. Before 2015, the last games between the shows occurred in 2010.
The Buchanan is now tied at 17-17-1.
In an SFU press release , coach Steve Hanson explained: “It’s been a long time coming. Playing in this environment is so special. I am very proud of our entire school, the entire department, and how we prepare. The interest and support of the fans was enormous for this game. It takes both teams to want to play to have this type of audience. We have to do something like this every year. It was exceptional. “
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SFU Athletic Director Theresa Hanson added: “It was wonderful to see this great game played in front of such an incredible crowd. With this kind of atmosphere, we were all winners tonight. “
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There were a variety of sidebar connections within the game, most notably that Theresa Hanson is married to UBC coach Kevin Hanson .
SFU (2-2 overall) controlled the proceedings, with UBC (8-2 overall) holding the lead only once in the game and in the opening moments. SFU led by as much as 19 points twice in the second half, and the second time came when they were up 71-52 with 9:09 left.
UBC fought back and cut it to 81-77 with 1:23 remaining when Grant Audu drained his first of two free throws. Missing his second, SFU rallied and hit a 3-pointer from Elliot Dimaculangan on subsequent possession to bring the lead to seven points. UBC missed a 3-pointer and layup his next time on the court, and SFU’s David Penney kept fouling and making both shots to make it 86-77.
SFU’s Jasdeep Singh had 23 points and six rebounds. Penney had 14 points and six assists. Julian Roche had 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
The Thunderbirds had five players who reached double digits in scoring, with Sukhman Sandhu’s 16 points leading the way.
SFU took advantage of 54.7 percent (35-64) of their chances from the field and went 10-20 on three-point attempts. UBC reached 44.6 percent (29-65). Visitors were excellent from beyond the arch as well, going 12 out of 27.
Reference-theprovince.com