KAMLOOPS, B.C. – The season opener was a closer game than expected for the University of Providence men's basketball team, but the Argos used steals and a balanced offense to pull out the win, 68-65 over the University of British Columbia – Okanagan.
 
The first half was close throughout with the Argo starting off hot from the field, but cooling down as the half went on. UP mostly led in the first 10 minutes, but it slipped away and three minutes left in the period, the Heat led by 8 points.
 
A few made shots in the final two minutes, cut that deficit in half before the two teams went to the locker room. Senior forward Steven Daho-Clark was the team's leading scoring through 20 minutes with 7 points.
 
It was in the first 10 minutes of the second half that UP retook the lead and played its best basketball of the night. The Argos picked up the intensity on defense to start the period and forced 11 turnovers in those 10 minutes, including 6 steals.
 
That defensive effort helped the Argos get out in transition and find some open shots. Junior guard Jacob Wetzel came off the bench and with 2-2 from 3-point range while slashing guards Quesly-Marie Noresias and Sergio Berkley got to the rim and the free-throw line to combine for 11 points.
 
Those efforts had the Argos ahead by 5 points heading into the final 10 minutes, and that lead would only get bigger than that once before the game ended.
 
A made 3-pointer from redshirt-senior Matthew Brooks-McGregor with 3:11 on the clock left gave UP a 64-59 and despite some missed Argo shots, two UBCO turnovers kept the score the same for the next minute. With just under 2 minutes to go, Daho-Clark made a layup gave UP its biggest lead of the night at 66-59.
 
Okanagan scored the next 6 points to pull within one, but Brooks-McGregor made two big free throws with 7 seconds left to seal the game.
 
Daho-Clark was the only Argo to score in double-digits and also tied for the team lead in rebounds with 12 points and 6 boards. He was efficient in his scoring too, shooting 5-8 from the field.
 
While no one else scored 10 points or higher, six Argos scored more than 5 points. Berkley and Wetzel had 9 points, senior Treyvon Bashir and transfer junior D'Shea Williams had 8 points, and Brooks-McGregor and Noresias had 7 points. Noresias also tied with Daho-Clark for a team leading 6 rebounds.
 
UP will stay in Canada for one more game, taking on Thompson Rivers University at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 21.