Cougars pull off miraculous comeback to keep playoff hopes alive

Geordie Carragher, UNBC Timberwolves Sports Information

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - The Mount Royal Cougars saved their best for last, finishing the game on a 13-0 run to steal a 76-75 victory over the UNBC Timberwolves.

Down 75-63 with 2:22 to play, Matthew Gray got things going with five of the 13 points, complemented by four from Brett Layton before Derek Wolf made the game-winning free throw with 0.2 seconds on the clock, Mount Royal's first lead of the game.

Layton was a force throughout the game for the Cougars (7-10), finishing with 18 points and 14 rebounds to pace Mount Royal in both categories.

James Lefebvre wound up with 17 points and six rebounds, while Gray had 16 coming off the bench.

Wolf finished with 15 points and four rebounds for the Cougars, including a perfect 6-for-6 on free throws to lead Mount Royal to a 78.6 per cent clip from the line.

For UNBC (3-14), Rhys Elliott broke out with a season-high 31 points, while Marcus MacKay added 18 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Vaggelis Loukas narrowly missed a double-double off the bench with nine points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who lost Colin Plumb in the second quarter after taking his second technical foul.

UNBC came out firing on home court, making their first four shots from three-point range to build an early 14-4 advantage. The Cougars clawed back, though, finishing the first quarter on a 7-0 run to cut the UNBC lead to 23-20 through 10 minutes.

The second quarter was a back-and-forth affair throughout. Mount Royal occasionally cut the deficit to within a point or two, only for UNBC to pull away once again, finishing the frame with a 9-1 run to head to halftime holding a 43-34 lead.

UNBC once again got out of the blocks quickly to start the second half, pushing the lead to 50-34 within the third quarter's opening minutes. Mount Royal fought back to get back within five points, though a buzzer-beating layup from Elliott pushed the Timberwolves to a 59-51 advantage, setting the stage for the fourth quarter dramatics.

The Timberwolves wrap up the home portion of their regular season schedule against the Cougars at 7 p.m., a game that can be seen on CanadaWest.TV.