RECAP: Mount Royal’s sizzling shooting stops Heat at home

KELOWNA, BC – The UBC Okanagan Heat men's basketball team fell by 29 to the Mount Royal Cougars in the UBC Okanagan gymnasium on Saturday night.

The result on Saturday night was pretty much certain by half-time, as the Cougars took a 43-21 lead into the break. Through the first two quarters Mount Royal shot 53.3% from the floor and 27.3% from long range, and made eight of ten from the free-throw line, while the Heat shot 28.6% and 12.5%, while not taking a single free-throw.

Josh Ross led the Cougars, and all scorers, with 28 points in the game and finished with 10 rebounds for a double-double. Brett Layton (13) and Glen Yang (10) were the number two and three scorers for Mount Royal. The Cougars also got 33 points from their bench on Saturday night.

For the Heat, Mitch Goodwin led the way for the second straight night, the fifth year guard finished with 23 points and seven rebounds. Backcourt mate Aldrich Berrios followed him with 16 points and six assists. The Heat bench put up 18 points in the contest.

The third quarter saw the Mount Royal lead expand to 35, as they scored a huge 31 points in the frame while holding the Heat to 18. Ross scored 13 of his 28 points in the third, and the Cougars defence kept the Heat to seven-of-16 shooting from the floor and one-of-four from long distance.

The fourth quarter saw the Heat outscore the Cougars, 29-23. Berrios and Goodwin started to find their shots, and combined for 16 points in the final quarter. In the last ten minutes, the Heat shot better percentages from the field (57.1% – 41.2%) and from the free-throw line (75% – 44.4%), but the comeback was continually stalled as UBCO couldn't stop the Cougars long-range shooters, who made five of eight threes in the fourth.

Tonight's loss is the Heat's fifth straight since they won their opener, and they now have a record of 1-5 on the season so far. The win bumps Mount Royal's record up to 3-1.

The UBC Okanagan Heat (1-5) will play their next games on the road, when they travel to Kamloops to play the Thompson Rivers WolfPack (1-5) during TRU's Shoot for the Cure weekend, November 25 & 26.