Win longest regular season game in Cascades Canada West history
Vancouver, BC…The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades women’s basketball team defeated the UBC Thunderbirds, 88-82, in double overtime. This marks the longest game in UFV Cascades Canada West seven year history. The Cascades improve to a perfect 6-0 in the Pacific Division of Canada West. The Thunderbirds fall to 4-2. “All in all a good weekend against one of the most respected programs in the country,” said UFV’s head coach Al Tuchscherer.
The game was exciting and fast paced, starting with UBC grabbing the early lead and holding onto a four point advantage through the first quarter. The Cascades defense shut down UBC in the second and came within one point of tying the game before the half. UFV shot 40 percent in the first half and the scoring was spread out between six members of the Cascades, led by Nicole Wierks with 8 points and Aieisha Luyken and Courtney Bartel with 6 points each. UFV played tremendous defense in the first half causing 14 UBC turnovers. The Cascades only lead in the half was with two minutes gone in the second quarter when Alexa McCarthy put UFV up by a score of 22-21.
The second half was as close as the first half with UBC continuing to lead by one point for most of the third quarter. UFV had regained the lead only once in the third quarter at 36-35, with three minutes gone, other than that brief lead the CIS Number two ranked Cascades trailed the entire quarter. In the fourth, UFV regained the lead with two minutes gone, at 53-52 and led by as many as five points, but UBC would not give up and crawled back to tie the game at 63 each, with four minutes remaining. The lead would change hands several times before the Cascades had an opportunity with four seconds remaining to win the game. Kayli Sartori hit the rim and the ball bounce twice around before falling just short forcing the first UFV regular season overtime since February 4th, 2011 at Winnipeg.
In the overtime, Sartori led the way as she would give UFV an early lead in the first overtime, after scoring the first two points, Sartori set up Aieisha Luyken for four straight points to give UFV a four point lead. UBC’s Kris Young was also on a mission as she hit two key overtime baskets to bring UBC back even, and with 21 seconds remaining gave UBC the lead at 78-76. After a Cascades timeout, UFV set up for the tying shot and after two unsuccessful shots from in front of the basket, the ball fell to Luyken with less than four seconds remaining and her last second shot hit nothing but net to tie game as the whistle blew, forcing a second overtime.
Kayli Sartori again started the second overtime by putting UFV ahead and this time for good as they dominated the final frame outscoring the Thunderbirds by six to win their sixth straight game of the season. Sartori scored six of her 12 points in overtime and two of her three steals also came in the extra frames. The Cascades shot 47 percent throughout the second half and overtime.
The Cascades were led by Nicole Wierks with 21 points as five players were in double figures. Luyken’s 16 points were mostly in the second half and at key moments when UFV needed points to stay close to UBC. Alexa McCarthy and Sarah Wierks each hit for 13 points and Sartori with 12. Sarah Wierks pulled down 14 rebounds in the victory.
“Gritty win that perhaps we didn’t deserve to win. It was good to see us preserve. I thought UBC caught us watching the play all night, both on offence and defense. We need to be more assertive defensively and our offence we got back to some old habits. We need to learn from this game and move on,” commented Tuchscherer.
UFV Team Records:
-Second Regular Season O’T game (Winnipeg 79-70 loss in February, 2011)
-First Regular Season O’T win in team’s 7 year CW history
-Most points scored on an UBC women’s team at War Memorial Gym 88 (source UBC)
-Most wins in a row to start a Canada West regular season in UFV history (6)
UFV 15 14 18 21 10 10 = 88 (6-0)
UBC 19 11 22 16 10 4 = 82 (4-2)
Team Rebounds:
UFV: 18+34=52/ UBC: 11+26=37
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