Fiery leader Lindsay Anderson welcomed to UNBC Wall of Honour

Every women’s basketball program in Canada has that one spark plug player that can ignite a team’s spirit.

In the case of the UNBC Timberwolves – that player was Lindsay Anderson.

The Melfort, Saskatchewan product came to the green and gold after graduating high school in her home province.

Timberwolves head coach Loralyn Murdoch was first exposed to Anderson when the guard was representing Team Saskatchewan and she was on the Team BC coaching staff.

After a brief introduction, the guard made the move to Prince George for the 2000-2001 BCCAA season.

Anderson admits it was tough to endure the growing pains in her first two seasons after having so much success in high school.

“I remember after some of the first games calling home to my Mom and it was a different experience going from things clicking and having that group of teammates who were also conditioned to being part of a winning program and knowing that feeling.”

“When you have that it builds momentum so trying to build that from scratch or build that mentality is something that takes time.”

After her freshman year, Anderson led UNBC with 13.1 points, while adding 4.4 rebounds and 2 assists per game as the team finished 3-15.

In 2001-2002, the Timberwolves improved to 8-10 in the BCCAA standings, missing out on the first playoff appearance in program history due to a tiebreaker.

However, everything clicked for Anderson and the T-Wolves in year three.

For the first time in program history, UNBC finished the season over .500.

A 13-5 record in the regular-season play put the league on notice, and Anderson was the heartbeat as her 15.8 points per game led all scorers in the conference while her 4.2 assists per contest were good for second in the league.

An overtime defeat in the playoffs couldn’t dim Anderson’s historic year, as she was also honoured as a CCAA All-Canadian; the first female Timber Wolf to ever earn the distinction.

When asked where she gets her tenacity and feisty attitude from, Anderson was quick to credit her background living in rural Saskatchewan.

“I grew up in a farming family and we used to have radios where you would talk to each other between combines and we would all have handles. Mine was short fuse or firecracker so I think I have always had a bit of that in me.”

“My upbringing was on a farm and when the going gets tough the tough get going and I had lots of encouragement to keep going and chase your dreams. If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again. Those were mottos that were taught and demonstrated to me growing up.”

After taking a year off, Anderson came back in 2004-2005.

The TWolves ranked near the top of the BCCAA standings, going 12-6, tied for second in the province.

Anderson paced UNBC with 13.3 points per game, which was good for fourth in the league.

In addition, the TWolves made history, earning their first playoff victory before falling short in the semifinals.

For her efforts, Anderson was named a BCCAA Second Team All-Star, UNBC Best Defensive Player, and an Academic All-Canadian.

She graduated from UNBC in 2005, concluding her time as a Timberwolf or so we thought.

In 2007, the T-Wolves were set to host the BBCCA Provincial Championship at the Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre.

That fall, Anderson returned for her fifth and final season of eligibility with UNBC, with her eyes set firmly on a BCCAA title while playing on a team loaded with stars including Jaclyn Nazareno, Laurel Wallace, Kady Dandeneau, and Carlye Hicks.

However, she recalls jumping through some hoops in order to come back a second time.

“I had an opportunity to come back strong and healthy and after finishing playing for the first time I was down in Vancouver playing in some of the co-ed leagues and was involved in fitness as a personal trainer. When the opportunity came for the fifth year of eligibility came, Loralyn contacted me and I was in this phase on what I wanted to do next.”

“I had made the plans to move back but the BCCAA decided they weren’t going to allow players to come back who had already graduated so I had to go through an appeals process. There was a lawyer from Prince George that Loralyn knew who offered me some pro-bono advice on how to appeal so I could have eligibility reinstated.”

“That process took from mid-December to the middle of February. We were refused the first time and then we took it to the next level where it was the league president and we had a phone interview where I had to explain why it was important for me to come back and it was for educational reasons, not just to play. I was then the only player in the league who previously graduated who was granted that fifth year for the last semester,” said Anderson.

UNBC went 11-5; good for the second seed.

In the semifinals, the TWolves topped UBCO to advance to the final, where they beat Camosun College 71-54 to win the first Provincial banner in program history.

Anderson retired as the program’s all-time leader in points and assists and sat top ten in rebounds.

When looking back at her time at UNBC, Anderson still marvels at the level of community support that was evident at home games.

“I think about the stands being full and beating their drums and it made for a really incredible experience so that’s one of the first memories that pop into my head.”

“That’s still one of the remarkable things that still resounds with me is that I have gone through some different coaching and watched university sports and different cities and locations and the amount of support we received as the UNBC Timberwolves I haven’t ever seen that replicated.”

She then pursued further education in medicine, graduating with an MD from the University of Saskatchewan.

Anderson is currently a fellow, with a focus on surgery in Winnipeg.

WATCH: