Trinity Western Spartans' point guard Mason Bourcier during his team's 93-84 exhibition win over the Calgary Dinos on Oct. 7 at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters 2022. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

Mason Bourcier: With three triple-doubles over his past six games, Trinity Western’s well-travelled guard puts down his hoops roots at Langley Events Centre!

LANGLEY — Ask Mason Bourcier about the good times he is starting to have again on the basketball court, and he seems to first take a backwards glance into his own figurative rearview mirror before speaking.“I used to be that kid, who if you showed him a brick wall, he’d run right through it,” Trinity […]

Q the return. TWU's dynamic scoring guard Ja'Qualyn Gilbreath leads the Spartans' small ball attack as the Langley school plays the first U Sports men's basketball game since March of 2020 when it hosts the Calgary Dinos on Thursday at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Scott Stewart property of TWU athletics 2021. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

Trinity Western opens its 2021-21 men’s U SPORTS season Thursday vs. Calgary! Debut for Spartans’ dynamic backcourt of Ja’Qualyn Gilbreath and Mason Bourcier!

LANGLEY — The longest dry spell in the history of U SPORTS basketball is set to end on Thursday.“I think we’re (one of) the first U SPORTS team in the country to play,” says Trinity Western Spartans’ men’s basketball coach Trevor Pridie, looking ahead to Thursday’s limited capacity pre-season exhibition opener against the powerhouse Calgary […]

Two generation of UBC point guards, fifth-year senior Jadon Cohee and head coach Kevin Hanson, have had a meeting of the minds en route to the team's three game sweep through the conference playoffs. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2020. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball University Men's Basketball

U Sports Final 8 preview: Kevin Hanson, a former UBC point guard, steps out of his coaching box to bring out best in ‘Birds floor general Jadon Cohee!

VANCOUVER — There is a little part of Kevin Hanson the player, who still remembers what it was like, some 33 years ago, to be part of a team which was able to catch lightning in a bottle.Today, he’s 20 seasons into his journey as the head coach of the UBC Thunderbirds, but back in […]

Although they have made two Final 8 national tourney appearances since, UBC Thunderbirds' head coach Kevin Hanson has his team at the event's traditional Halifax site for the first time since it lost in the semifinals back in 2011. It's a first-time trip for star guard Jadon Cohee. (Photo by Bob Frid property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

UBC hoops back in Halifax! On long journey to Final 8 nationals, here’s why you can stamp these underdog ‘Birds as ‘battle-tested’

VANCOUVER — Over the course of a 17-game in-conference win streak which defined its Canada West regular season schedule, it was sometimes difficult to wonder if the UBC Thunderbirds were getting the level of competition which would best serve them on the road towards qualifying for the ultimate challenge.

UBC guard Mason Bourcier did all of his scoring when it mattered most, taking over the game down the fourth quarter stretch-drive to give UBC a 74-62 win over the host Alberta Golden Bears in the opening game of their best-of-three conference semifinal Friday in Edmonton. (File photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

UBC protects paint, leans on Bourcier late to extract a pure-guts road win over Alberta in conference semifinal opener

The UBC Thunderbirds knew they needed a hot start on the offensive end and a courageous one on the defensive end if they were going to give themselves any chance at coming out Edmonton this weekend with a berth to the Canada West championship final next March 2 in Calgary against the host Dinos, and […]

UBC's Jadon Cohee brought the aggressive nature back to his game Friday and helped the 'Birds stave off elimination at the hands of the visiting Fraser Valley Cascades. (Photo by Wilson Wong property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

After playing “…one of the worst games of my career” UBC’s Jadon Cohee flips the script Friday as ‘Birds stay alive with win over UFV

VANCOUVER — Jadon Cohee has had some great days playing basketball in his home province of B.C.Like scoring 22 points and being picked tournament MVP in leading the Walnut Grove Gators to the B.C. senior boys Triple A championship in March of 2013.Or later that summer, picking up the phone to take a call from […]

UBC Thunderbirds' scoring leader Jadon Cohee (left) welcomes back two healthy teammates Thursday as the playoffs begin at home to UFV: Point guard Mason Bourcier (right) and shooting guard Manroop Clair (not pictured). (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

UBC-UFV quarterfinals: ‘Birds bye week helps wounded guards Clair, Bourcier bring their best 60 minutes to War on Thursday

VANCOUVER — Like your favourite TV drama, Manroop Clair and Mason Bourcier are easily the equivalent of a solid hour’s worth of entertainment for UBC Thunderbirds’ men’s basketball fans.

UBC's fifth-year senior Patrick Simon scored a season-high 20 points Friday as his 'Birds topped UNBC 94-75 for the team's 15th straight win. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

The long journey of UBC’s Patrick Simon: Says ‘Birds coach Hanson “…now he’s a fifth-year man-child”

VANCOUVER — If the talent evaluators were never fully sure how to project what kind of talent Patrick Simon was going to become coming out of PoCo’s tiny Archbishop Carney back in the spring of 2013, the answer was pretty evident Friday night at War Memorial Gymnasium.“You’re seeing him out there in his fifth year […]

UBC's latest recruit, rising fourth-year point guard Jadon Cohee has big goals for both himself and the Thunderbirds' basketball program. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics)
Parker Simson wanted to reach a new level following a B.C. AAAA high school basketball championship title with the Kelowna Owls in 2016. He gets a chance to meet that goal this weekend back in his hometown, this time with the UBC Thunderbirds. (Photo used through the permission of UBC athletics)
Feature University Men's Basketball

A weekend for history: Parker Simson aims to become second UBC athlete in 57 years to play football, basketball in same school year

VANCOUVER — As Parker Simson prepared for a most unique moment in UBC sports history this weekend, and in of all places his hometown of Kelowna, he was professing an appreciation for one of sport’s oldest cliches.