High-flying WolfPack soar past Heat to secure Presidents’ Cup

QUICK FIRE

• The Thompson Rivers WolfPack men's basketball team showed no signs of rust after the lengthy winter break as they soundly defeated the UBC Okanagan Heat 95-72 inside the TCC Friday night.
• With the win the WolfPack officially clinched the 2025-26 men's Presidents' Cup. An annual competition between Interior rivals TRU and UBCO in their head-to-head games in basketball, volleyball and soccer, the Presidents' Cup has been awarded every year from 1993-2003 and again from 2013 to present day.
   

DIFFERENCE MAKERS

• Jayden Stephens was the top scorer for the 'Pack, finishing the night with 20 points and four steals while throwing down a trio of thunderous dunks. Steve Stinson was efficient with 15 points and five assists while Dami Farinloye added another 13.
• Isaak Moore tallied 18 points, 15 in the first quarter, to lead UBCO. Jalen Shirley, who entered the weekend fourth in Canada West scoring, finished with 16 points and three steals.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• It was the Heat that came out firing to start the night. Moore tallied 15 points in the opening four minutes of action to send UBCO to an early 20-9 advantage. From then on it was all WolfPack to finish the first. Stinson got things started with a three and Stephens scored seven points down the stretch as the WolfPack finished the frame with an 18-6 run that saw them lead 27-26 after the first quarter.
• TRU kept that momentum rolling into the second. A Cason Scott three-pointer capped off a 15-4 WolfPack run to start the frame that featured eight points from Stinson. The teams traded buckets down the stretch to send the WolfPack into the halftime break leading 52-43.
• Six points from Reuben Wright early in the third allowed TRU to lead by as many as 17 points at the midway point of the frame.
• The WolfPack removed any doubt from the game early in the fourth as a massive dunk from Stephens gave TRU a 20-point advantage that they wouldn't surrender en route to the commanding victory.

 
NOTABLE

• The win clinched the third-straight men's Presidents' Cup for TRU. The WolfPack have won 17 of the 23 editions of the trophy.
• The result moves TRU to a record of 9-4 where they remain third in the Pacific Division.
• Fran Monreal made his WolfPack debut in the game and finished the night with nine points and ten rebounds.

UP NEXT

• The WolfPack will look to complete the weekend sweep when they once again host the Heat tomorrow, Saturday Jan. 10, at 6:00 p.m. inside the TCC.