SENior MEN Say farEwEll
Long before they set sail on a five-year mission with the UNBC Timberwolves men's basketball team, Saje Gosal and Anthony Hokanson were B.C. provincial under-14 teammates.
At that time, both were considered among the best of their age group peers. They had no idea their basketball futures would converge in Prince George, where they would became T-wolves teammates, roommates and soul brothers.
“Tony and I came here together and it was a really special time for us, we've known each other since we were 13 years old,” said Gosal. “We met each other when we were really young and we've been playing basketball together for a long time. We came to the same school together and we've lived together the whole time since we've been here, so it's been really special to us to kind of grow up here together.”
Hokanson, a forward, has been catching Gosal's passes from the backcourt for five seasons and that all came to an end Saturday when the T-wolves wrapped up a non-playoff season with back-to-back wins over the Grant MacEwan Griffins at the Northern Sport Centre.
“I can honestly say that the five years here have been one of the best experiences in my life,” said Hokanson. “Me and Saje have been part of the biggest firsts in the program's history. We were part of the team that won its first playoff game, we were on the first team to make the playoffs back to back and it's really been one of the most incredible rides I've every had.”
That 71-68 win over the Winnipeg
Wesmen two years ago in the playoffs was the high-water mark for the both graduating seniors during their time as Twolves. Although they were swept in the next round in a two-game series against Alberta, the T-wolves proved with their playoff win that a small isolated school can produce a playoff contender.
This season was a rebuilding year, with just two starters and two fifth-year players. The T-wolves started out 4-4, then went on an 11-game losing streak that finally ended when they took out the Griffins Friday in the first game of a twogame sweep.
“It's ups and downs whenever you have a young team - even when you feel you've had a breakthrough you take a step back,” said Gosal. “But it's satisfying just seeing the growth from our young guys and seeing what they're capable of.”
Hokanson attended Kitsilano Secondary School playing on a quad-A team in Vancouver. Gosal, a guard, came from a basketball family in Golden and played his high school career at the doubleA level. Their basketball paths never crossed Gosal went to the Lower Mainland to play on the provincial team.
In their last game together as T-wolves, Hokanson and Gosal put up their biggest numbers of the season. Hokanson hit for 23 points, nine rebounds and three assists while Gosal had a 17-point game with two assists and three rebounds.
After five years as student athletes, Gosal is leaving UNBC with a political science degree and will study law next fall at UBC. Hokanson will have an accounting degree and is not sure what job that will lead to but they both plan on living in the Vancouver area.