One day after an effort that left much to be desired, the UNBC Women’s Basketball team dug in their heels, battled on defense, got their offense going, and used a career night from Sveta Boykova to top the Brandon Bobcats 90-71 on Saturday in Brandon, Manitoba.
In the first quarter, the teams took turns grabbing possession of the momentum and the lead. Piper Ingalls got out to a good start, scoring seven early points, while the Russian duo of Alina Shakirova and Sveta Boykova combined to tally the first 13 points for the Timberwolves.
The back-and-forth battle continued much of the frame, as each team earned trips to the charity stripe for easy points at the line. UNBC’s Rebecca Landry made back-to-back baskets in the paint and a long trey late in the quarter, and the TWolves held a slim 24-22 advantage after ten minutes.
Sveta Boykova stretched the Timberwolves lead with an early triple, before finding her fellow post Olivia Wilson for a nice finish in the paint as UNBC looked to build some breathing room against the pesky Bobcats. Second-year forward Laura Garmendia Garcia put her stamp on the game with seven points in the quarter, and UNBC found themselves up 47-36.
At the half, Boykova led UNBC with 13 points and five rebounds, while Shakirova and Garmendia Garcia had eight points. For Brandon, it was the fiery guard Ingalls pacing them offensively with 10 points.
Brandon continued to stick around with relentless energy, but the Timberwolves began to look inside to Boykova on the offensive end, looking to exploit a positional mismatch. The Russian post scored six early points, buoying the Timberwolves and keeping the Bobcats at bay. Rebecca Landry continued to assert herself offensively, burying a long three-pointer as the TWolves built a 16-point lead late in the quarter, holding a 66-48 advantage with one quarter to play.
Reetta Tulkki and Piper Ingalls drained early triples for the Bobcats, cutting into the UNBC lead, but a Boykova bucket from Sarah Kuklisin slowed the home team’s momentum temporarily. Tulkki continued to make her presence felt, making another three and a fastbreak layup midway through the quarter, cutting into the deficit.
However, the score was Brandon’s worst enemy, as whenever they got a bucket that could lead to a run, Boykova stamped out any chance of a comeback. Eventually, the TWolves would secure a convincing 90-71 win.
The Timberwolves defensive effort in the second and third quarters proved to be the difference, as UNBC outscored the Bobcats 42-26 after a closely contested opening quarter.
Boykova was sublime in the victory, going for 31 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks, going 13-for-19 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc.
Landry was tremendous in support, scoring 17 points and adding four assists, going 3-for-3 from three-point land. Shakirova added 10 points and four rebounds, while Garmendia Garcia came off the bench and scored 10 points.
For Brandon, it was the duo of Ingalls and Tulkki doing the damage, each scoring 18 points in the hard-fought defeat.