Ed Dane Medi (left) and Yassine Ghomari are interviewed following their final game on the UBC Okanagan hardwood Thursday night.
Men’s Basketball (Canada West conference play)
Thursday, February 13th, 2014 SCHEDULE & RESULTS | BOX SCORE
UBC's Okanagan campus gymnasium, Kelowna, BC
| Score by Periods | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total | |
| Thompson Rivers | 19 | 15 | 22 | 22 | 78 | Record: (13-8) |
| UBC Okanagan | 19 | 17 | 12 | 24 | 72 | Record: (3-18) |
KELOWNA, B.C. - It was the end of an era for Heat men’s basketball Thursday night when the crowd said goodbye to a quartet of players playing in their final home game of the season. Records were set, and the Heat’s Yassine Ghomari (Vancouver, BC) narrowly outperformed Thompson Rivers’ opponent Ta’Quan Zimmerman, but ultimately UBC Okanagan would fall in 78-72 defeat to the WolfPack.
In his fifth-year and final tour in Heat uniform, Ghomari posted a 19 points, six assists and three rebounds stat line. Coming into the match ranked second in the conference in scoring at 20.1 points per game, Zimmerman was held to a single point in the first quarter before catching up in the second half for a 19 point, three assist and four rebound night.
Ghomari is now six points away from hopping into third all-time in this category at this institution. With his sixth point on Saturday he will pass Jeremy Luypen, who played for the then Lakers in 95-96, 97-98, 99-00, 00-01 for third place all time with 941 total points. Matt Gowing who played from 2004-2008 is tops all time with 1028 total points. His six assists pushed him into third with 157, one ahead of former teammate David Joseph.
Ed Dane Medi, another player finishing his career for the Heat, spent 12 minutes on the hardwood tonight, the 87th time he has stepped on the floor in a Heat uniform. After tonight the graduating Medi has become the team’s all-time leader in games played, surpassing Matt Gowing’s record of 86.
Despite being undersized, the Heat managed to outwork the WolfPack on the glass in a 37-32 margin, with first-year David Manshreck (North Vancouver, BC) leading the way with a game and career high 12 rebounds.
A difference in shooting in the second half would mar the Heat’s chances to come away with a fourth win for the season as TRU went 53.8% from the field to their 36.7% over the same period. The third quarter proved crucial as the WolfPack outscored the home team 22-12, the only quarter they would wind up outscoring the Heat.
TRU, having already clinched a berth for the first round of the Canada West playoffs, are still waiting to see who they will play in the first round with a 13-8 record. With a win on Saturday they will lock up the third seed and avoid a first round in the post season that would see them travel to Edmonton and face the No. 3 ranked 18-2 (10-0 at home) Alberta Golden Bears, who are locked into the top Prairie seed.
With the loss, the Heat are now 3-18 for the 2013-14 campaign and will try and capture their first road victory and fourth win of the season this Saturday in Kamloops.
Both teams will square off again for the final night of Canada West regular season action this season on Saturday in Kamloops at the old Thompson Rivers Gymnasium with tip-off at 2 p.m.
The Men’s Presidents’ Cup will be awarded for the first time since 2003 after the game to Thompson Rivers University who have a four wins to two lead over UBC Okanagan. TRU earned the four wins with regular season victories in volleyball twice, soccer, and basketball. UBC Okanagan prevailed in golf and once in soccer.
LINK TO SCORING MATRIX FOR MORE INFO
The Presidents’ Cup was established in 1993 as a challenge between the then Okanagan University College (UBC’s Okanagan campus) and the University College of the Cariboo (Thompson Rivers University) and awarded a trophy for each gender for excellence in athletic competition.
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