The Dinos men’s basketball team offered up a double shot of last-second heroics last Friday in the first of their two victories over the now 1-3 University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, bouncing back from a shaky 0-2 start to the Canada West season.
The first game of the twin bill was a tight affair needing a three-point shot from guard Kurt Schoendorfer with five seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. Wes Jickling led the way for the Dinos in an equally tight OT period with five of their 11 points until, with four seconds left, John Riad gave the Dinos their first victory of the 2000/01 campaign by laying in the winner for a 98-97 final score.
The second game was Saturday night at the Jack, and the fans were treated to another back and forth affair. With six minutes remaining, the Dinos found themselves down by five, trailing 69-64. They stepped it up a notch, letting the grit shine through, and rode rookie Whit Hornsberger’s 17 second-half points to a comfortable 83-74 victory, evening their record to an impressive 2-2.
This solid effort instills the Dinos and their fans with renewed faith and confidence as they head into a road tilt this weekend with the 1-1 Winnipeg Wesmen, fresh off their outing at the Naismith Tournament in Waterloo.