By Howard TsumuraVarsity LettersMaybe one of the only things that didn’t unfold as smoothly as planned for the UBC Thunderbirds Saturday night in Winnipeg against the No. 10-ranked Manitoba Bisons was the bobbled snap that wiped out a 32-yard field goal attempt early in the fourth quarter.In that instance, kicker Alexander Hillyard simply improvised, calmly […]
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UBC football 2026: Bringing balance to its offence the key as ‘Birds look to win third straight game on Saturday! The rub? Blue and gold haven’t won at Manitoba Bisons since 2018!
By Howard TsumuraVarsity LettersVANCOUVER — It’s hard to believe that the 2026 Canada West football season is reaching its midway point this weekend.It’s even harder to believe that a UBC Thunderbirds team looking to win its third straight game will reach the halfway juncture without having yet committed a balanced four-quarter performance to tape.Can the […]
A SUNDAY READ: With nation’s best RB now calling Point Grey home, UBC’s football stakes rise! Coach Nill, at his cautionary best, won’t rest on the laurels of Homecoming win over No. 4 Regina!
By Howard TsumuraVarsity LettersVANCOUVER — No, the UBC Thunderbirds did not steal fire from the football gods.Yet to give credit where it is due, they did maybe the next best thing… they seem to have plucked 18-year-old running back Marvyn Larozar from under the noses of every college and university football program that can claim […]
A SUNDAY READ: The incredible UBC debut of Marvyn Larozar! Behind an incredible stride, how ‘Birds 18-year-old rookie from Ottawa rushed for 285 yards, 4 TDs in Blue-&-Gold home opener!
By Howard TsumuraVarsity LettersVANCOUVER — In its classrooms at UBC, first-year physics students all begin with the knowledge that mass times velocity equals momentum.Across campus on Friday night, those very same principles held true at venerable Thunderbird Stadium where 2,912 fans jammed themselves into the old yard’s cozy confines to watch a first-year running back […]
A Sunday Read: The deliverance of Bruce Langford! After 25 years and 5 national titles, SFU’s retiring women’s hoops coach reflects on how salvation through coaching paved his incredible journey!
By Howard TsumuraVarsity LettersBURNABY MOUNTAIN — Every kid is born with a compass, and from the moment we learn to crawl we can understand it to be our keeper, a talisman of sorts with the mythical power to protect, inspire and enlighten.The first time you hear the story of Bruce Langford’s childhood, however, you might […]
UBC’s straight-ahead approach impresses! Here’s 4 things I learned as No. 7 ‘Birds top No. 4 Regina in a 74-68 classic to clinch spot at Final 8 nationals!
By Howard TsumuraVarsity LettersVANCOUVER — The deeper they get into their season, it seems, the muddier, grittier and more single-minded of purpose these UBC Thunderbirds seem to become.On Friday at War Memorial Gymnasium, UBC turned in its second straight pure-guts fourth quarter of their post-season, and as in last Sunday’s 75-69 win over the Alberta […]
Simon Fraser men’s basketball: Red Leafs lean on 40 minutes of team play, snap nine-game GNAC skid as vets and rising rookie Sartaj Bhangu top visiting Western Oregon Wolves!
By Howard TsumuraVarsityLetters.caBURNABY MOUNTAIN — Two nights after letting a 14-point second-half lead slip through their fingers, the Simon Fraser Red Leafs proved to themselves what a difference a full 40 minutes of on-court togetherness can mean.Rookie forward Sartaj Bhangu equalled his own career-high with 16 points and also grabbed set a new career-high in […]
Fourth-quarter steals highlight ‘disruptive’ UBC mindset as No. 6 ‘Birds rally to top No. 1 Vikes, setting stage for a winner-take-all Pacific Division finale Saturday in the B.C. capital!
By Howard TsumuraVarsityLetters.caVICTORIA — In ancient mythology, the gods made news by stealing fire from each other.On Friday, the UBC Thunderbirds made some fourth-quarter headlines of their own by instead stealing basketballs and ultimately the game’s momentum, keeping hopes alive of an 11th-hour fastbreak to the Canada West’s Pacific Division title.Trailing by as many as […]
For Simon Fraser’s Mikyle Malabuyoc, it’s all about the orchestration of the score! Red Leafs’ point guard set to dish dimes as team celebrates Filipino Heritage Night on Thursday vs. Alaska Nanooks!
By Howard TsumuraVarsity LettersBURNABY MOUNTAIN — A great conductor will tell you that there is infinitely more to performing a great symphonic score than just looking at notes and abiding by time signatures.It’s more about seeing the big picture, and within the details, trusting that through the repetition of rehearsal that your vision is both […]
Abby’s hometown hero Dil Randhawa finds three-point redemption, fires game-high 24 points as UFV Cascades snap 11-game UBC win streak with 91-85 victory over No. 3-ranked Birds!
By Howard TsumuraVarsity LettersABBOTSFORD — The Fraser Valley Cascades opened the Pacific Division men’s basketball campaign back on Oct. 24 at UBC’s War Memorial Gym with an injury-riddled line-up and a shooting game in desperate need of bandages.Yet despite taking an 85-67 loss to the hometown Thunderbirds that night and starting the season with an […]