Zeru Abera (left) of Burnaby's St. Thomas More Knights drives on Dover Bay's Frank Linder in the championship final of the TBI Super 16 invitational Dec. 7 at the Langley Events Centre. Next season the two will be rookie teammates with the UBC Thunderbirds. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball University Men's Basketball

UBC Thunderbirds’ recruit Zeru Abera has been clutch when it counts! Now, the STM Knights senior is embracing the challenge of bringing his intangibles to the Canada West!

VANCOUVER — Ask Kevin Hanson what he finds most special about his most recent high school recruit and he instantly captures the essence of St. Thomas More Knights’ senior Zeru Abera.“It’s a tough thing to teach anyone how to be clutch in a basketball game, especially at the end of the game, and then to […]

UBC's Nikola Guzina drives to the basket against the Trinity Western Spartans in Canada West action Nov. 3 at War Memorial Gymnasium. After losing the 2023-24 season to a brain injury, the 6-foot-10 standout is playing a huge role in UBC's drive to the Final 8 national championships this March. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

Bright lights, brighter future: After losing last season to concussion, ‘Birds 6-foot-10 standout Nikola Guzina can see clearly now as UBC gears up to host 2025 U SPORTS Final 8 nationals!

VANCOUVER — Nikola Guzina’s basketball dream had always been to play under the bright lights at UBC’s hallowed War Memorial GymnasiumAnd coming off an amazing two-season stretch at nearby King George Secondary School, where over his Grade 11 and 12 seasons combined (2018-20) he averaged an NBA 2K-like 30.7 points, 14.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists […]

UBC's Fareed Shittu squares up his release against Victoria's Ethan Boag Thursday in the provincial capital. The host Vikes would later take a 90-88 win over the Thunderbirds at the buzzer on a Boag jumper. (Photo by Justin Morash/JustinM Photography courtesy of Victoria Vikes athletics 2025. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

No. 1 Victora 90 No. 2 UBC 88: Buzzer-beating jumper keeps Vikes perfect, falls like a dagger through UBC hearts!

BY HOWARD TSUMURA (VaristyLetters.ca)Regardless of your rooting interest, one thing was clear Thursday night in the provincial capital.The basketball gods give as well as they take.Ethan Boag’s baseline corner jumper from just inside the three-point arc dropped through the irons at Ken and Kathy Shields’ place just as the final buzzer sounded, giving the hometown, […]

Always under control, Dover Bay's Frank Linder on his way to tourney MVP honours against the MEI Eagles in 2024 B.C. Triple-A championship final March 9, 2024 at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Blair Shier property of Vancouver Sports Pictures 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball University Baseball

UBC Thunderbirds men’s basketball lands a prize Class of 2025 recruit! Dover Bay’s 6-foot-7 Frank Linder, reigning BC Triple-A MVP, brings a universal skill set to War Memorial Gym!

VANCOUVER — Start with his agility, length and power.Then consider that it all comes within a 6-foot-7, 195-pound frame.Those who have seen forward/guard Frank Linder grow into his position as one of the top seniors in B.C. high school basketball over the past few seasons with Nanaimo’s Dover Bay Dolphins know all too well that […]

Derek Christiansen was one of the UBC Thunderbirds' top scorers during its 1990-91 season, including its No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown in Victoria. (Photo property of UBC Athletics 1991. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

What? It’s been 33 years! Indeed, it’s been since Jan. of 1991 that UBC has faced Victoria in a No. 1 vs. No. 2! Ahead of weekend clash, let’s all take a trip in Howie’s Hoops Time Machine!

VANCOUVER — If you asked the basketball gods to describe the perfect weekend of men’s university basketball in the province of British Columbia, they would tell you it’s beyond words.But they’d also let you know that if  you want to see it live and in-person, all you’ve got to do is head to UBC’s historic […]

UBC's Nikola Guzina drives to the basket against the Trinity Western Spartans in Canada West action Nov. 3 at War Memorial Gymnasium. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

UBC men’s basketball 2024-25: With its “equal-opportunity system” thriving, No. 2 Thunderbirds clash with visiting, No. 1 Vikes as eyes of Canadian university hoop world focus on War Memorial Gym!

VANCOUVER — It’s mid-November, his UBC Thunderbirds have already played 16 games… and won them all.“But I still don’t know who our best five guys are when it comes to playing the best together,” head coach Kevin Hanson explained following practice Wednesday.With his No. 2 nationally-ranked ‘Birds set to play host to the No. 1-ranked […]

UBC's pure freshman guard Keira Daly (left) has been a huge addition to the Thunderbirds' already talented backcourt rotation. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Women's Basketball

With its first national ranking in six years, No. 3 UBC women host arch-rival Victoria in rematch of last season’s Vikes’ playoff win! Newcomers set to bolster Thunderbirds’ deep roster!

VANCOUVER — Last season, during her debut at the helm of UBC Thunderbirds’ women’s basketball program, Isabel Ormond took what can only be described as an impressive first trip around the block with her young charges.It was one of those journeys where everything they encountered — both good and bad — was grist for the […]

The Saskatchewan Huskies rallied late in the fourth quarter to stun UBC 38-33 Nov. 2, 2024 in the Canada West Hardy Cup semifinals at Thunderbird Stadium. (Photo by Bob Frid property of UBC Athletics 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

Late rally by Saskatchewan stuns UBC 38-33 in opening playoff round! Thunderbirds head coach Nill: “I don’t know what to say. I have never been a part of anything that drastic before”

VANCOUVER — When it comes to a post-mortem discussion of the 2024 UBC Thunderbirds football season, one which ended with a stunning 38-33 Hardy Cup semifinal home field loss to the Saskatchewan Huskies, you must first determine the focal length at which the conversation must begin.So do you want to take the macro view of […]

UBC's Isaiah Knight was unstoppable once again during the Thunderbirds' 21-5 win over the Calgary Dinos as the rains fell hard Friday, October 19, 2024 at Thunderbird Stadium. (Photo by Bob Frid property of UBC Athletics 2024. (All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

On a night the heavens open up, UBC’s back-to-basics excellence tops Calgary as part of a ‘perfect storm’ at Thunderbird Stadium!

VANCOUVER — If you were to make yet another argument for football as sport’s ultimate game of survival, then UBC’s Friday night victory against the visiting Calgary Dinos was — both literally and figuratively— its perfect storm.Against the backdrop of a night sky, the lights at Thunderbird Stadium provided the perfect level of illumination from […]

With teammate Will Hunter (left) helping open a running lane, UBC's do-it-all three-phase wonder Jason Soriano peels off a 26-yard punt return in Friday's 35-25 win over the host Alberta Golden Bears in Edmonton. (Photo by Adrien Bazinet courtesy U of Alberta athletics 2024. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

Despite gruelling stretch of road games, UBC football pushes win streak to four straight as Birds’ QB Rooker finds receivers McBean, Webb, Kapler and Hladik on highlight-reel gainers!

You might say that there is a penance to be served when a football team receives the first two games of its eight-game season-long schedule at home, then proceeds to lose them both, and by an average of almost 20 points per game.That’s what the UBC Thunderbirds did, way back in the early days of […]