#7 Aldrich Berrios (with ball) was 1 of 7 new faces suiting up this past weekend for the Heat men's basketball team.
Lose a nail biter on Saturday 96-94 and are outran on Sunday falling 100-65.
Men’s Basketball (Exhibition play)
KELOWNA, BC – In two very different games the UBC Okanagan Heat men’s basketball team showed flashes of what could be a strong future for this young squad and stretches of play that were reminders that this is a young team in two losses to Vancouver’s ABA team the Balloholics.
On Saturday night in an exciting up-tempo game the Heat were unable to hold the lead through the fourth quarter and fell 96-94. On Sunday afternoon in a game that more resembled the football on TV than the basketball played the previous day, the Balloholics were able to out run the younger team to a score of 100-65.
RESULTS: Saturday September 27, 2014 Score by Periods 1 2 3 4 - Total Vancouver Balloholics......21 23 23 29 - 96 UBC Okanagan...............15 23 34 22 - 94
Sunday September 28, 2014 BOX SCORE | VIDEO Score by Periods 1 2 3 4 - Total Vancouver Balloholics......16 36 22 26 - 100 UBC Okanagan...............12 17 11 25 - 65
Suiting up just 10 players and seven of those straight out of high school UBC Okanagan Heat head coach Pete Guarasci really did have the younger team on the court against a Vancouver squad that featured seven players that were less than three years from playing university basketball.
On Saturday night the team’s 94 points was really a team effort as all 10 players registered on the scoresheet, five scored in double digits and two more scored nine. Top for UBC Okanagan was Mitch Goodwin with 15 points, Ryan Morck rattled home 13, and three players notched 11: Travis Worthing, Ryan Linttell, and Noma Obaseki. Buzz Truss and Aldrich Berrios where the two with nine.
The Balloholics were led by Demitri Harris who dropped 41 points on UBC Okanagan, Canada West veteran Mike Berg supported Harris with 22 points, mostly in the paint.
Sunday afternoon UBC Okanagan once again received scoring contributions from all 10 players who dressed for the game, unlike the previous game it was just 6-9 Ryan Morck’s 17 points that went into double digits. Mitch Goodwin, plagued with foul trouble still managed to net nine points while three tallied seven in a losing cause: Travis Worthing, Aldrich Berrios, and Dean Johnson.
Harris would once again lead all Vancouver scorers in a much more balanced Balloholic attack with 25 points, Mike Berg posted an impressive double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds Rei Jensen pitched in with 17 and Yoan Zola with 16.
This weekend the Heat will travel to Lethbridge for a pair of games against Mike Hansen’s Pronghorns, these will be a community special and played at a new Secondary School in Lethbridge, Chinook High School. Friday night tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. (PDT) and Saturday will be a matinee with the action to take the court at 2 p.m. (PDT).
There will be men’s preseason action back on home court when UBC Okanagan hosts Laurentian, Thompson Rivers and Trinity Western in a four game exhibition series. This series takes place Oct 24-26, check goheat.ca for more details.
Canada West conference play will open up for the Heat on their home court at UBC Okanagan when they host the Fraser Valley Cascades for a pair of games Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m. (Nov 7-8).