Laurel Wallace was relentless at both ends of the court for the UNBC Women’s Basketball program.
The fierce competitor concluded her career as one of the most decorated players in the program’s history and is the latest inductee into the UNBC Timberwolves Wall of Honour.
After a successful high school career with Argyle Secondary, Wallace was recruited by UNBC coach Loralyn Murdoch, who loved her newest recruit’s combination of understated poise and intense commitment to getting better.
“Laurel was a quiet player on a really strong Argyle team, but she was unbelievably talented and incredibly bright academically. We worked hard on selling her on the basketball fit and the academic fit, and I was thrilled to get her to commit. We recruited Laurel and Jaclyn Nazareno at the same time; they had played against each other in high school, and together, they saw they could take our UNBC program to the next level.”
Wallace joined a TWolves roster full of veterans like Miranda Kenna, Lindsay Anderson, and Marlene Pontes.
Her freshman season was focused on development, as the North Vancouver product came off the bench and injected her signature defense and timely scoring. The team went 12-6, and Wallace averaged 4.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game, earning the program’s Rookie of the Year award.
After some roster overhaul prior to the 2005-2006 season, Wallace was placed into a more significant role at both ends of the floor. The T-Wolves went 8-10, qualifying for the BCCAA playoffs, while she averaged 10.3 points, 4.4 boards, and 1.6 assists per game.
In year three, Wallace took another major leap averaging 14.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, powering the Timberwolves to an 11-5 record. She was fifth in the BCCAA in scoring, while her rebounding and assist numbers were top-20 in the conference, and her incredible work in the classroom earned her a CCAA National Academic All-Canadian nod.
The 2007-2008 season would prove to be a historic year for Wallace and the Timberwolves program. Playing home games in the brand new Northern Sport Centre, UNBC would host the BCCAA Provincial Championships – a title game they hoped to be playing in familiar territory.
Wallace was well-rounded once again, averaging 12.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 helpers, while the TWolves went 11-5 and put themselves in a position to challenge for the BC banner. When the opportunity to take on the Camosun Chargers for the championship arose, the fourth year would not disappoint.
In a thrilling, historic 71-54 victory over Camosun, it was Wallace’s 23 points and two-way dominance that led the way for the Timberwolves.
Wallace would be named BCCAA Provincial Tournament MVP for her efforts, along with earning a BCCAA Provincial Academic Excellence Award.
For her encore, Wallace put a bow on a historic career by continuing to lead the way on and off the court for the Timberwolves.
Propelling the Timberwolves to a 14-4 campaign, she averaged 13.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Camosun got some revenge, topping UNBC in the BCCAA final, but it was Wallace leading the TWolves in scoring and being named a Provincial Tournament All-Star.
She also earned BCCAA First Team All-Star status for the second time and was named winner of the BCCAA Provincial Academic Excellence Award and a CCAA Academic All-Canadian.
Wallace concluded her career top-ten all-time in BCCAA scoring with 952 points, a mark that was second-most in UNBC history. She also finished second in Timberwolves history in rebounding and fourth in assists.
Now living in Calgary, Wallace earned her Ph.D. and works as Clinical Child Psychologist. She is married to fellow Timberwolf alum Raju Korotana and has two children.
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