Vijay Dhillon poured in a game-high 26 points on Saturday night.
The University of the Fraser Valley men’s basketball team put on a sensational second-half shooting show to wrap up a weekend sweep of the UBC Okanagan Heat.
The Cascades trailed the Heat 37-32 at halftime, but came out of the locker room absolutely on fire. They went on to shoot an obscene 90 per cent from beyond the arc and 73.9 per cent overall from the field in the second half, en route to an 84-69 victory at the Envision Athletic Centre.
The Cascades, coming off a 79-67 win over the Heat on Friday, improved to 2-0 on the young season, while UBCO fell to 0-2.
“I think we just looked at each other at halftime and said ‘Hey, we’re not going to let this happen,’” UFV head coach Adam Friesen said afterward. “Kevon [Parchment] and Vijay [Dhillon] said ‘We’re going to take control of this game, we’re going to try and set the pace and be the leaders of this group.’”
Dhillon led all scorers with 26 points on the night, including six treys. Mark Johnson picked up 21 points and Parchment poured in 20 of his own.
Dean Johnston set the pace for the Heat, going 8-for-12 from the field en route to 19 points, while Randall Mosca notched 11 of his 14 points in the final frame.
The Cascades built a 15-10 lead at the end of the first quarter, but UBCO’s Johnston and Mitchell Goodwin combined for 19 points in the second to stake their squad to a 37-32 lead heading into the break.
UFV came out of halftime looking like a completely different team.
The Cascades’ aerial attack ascended to altitude in the third quarter – they went 12-for-14, including six three-balls, from the field. At the other end of the floor, the Heat shooters went cold, going just 2-for-12. The end result was a 62-44 lead for UFV, after outscoring their opponents 30-7 in the quarter.
UBCO turned things around offensively in the fourth, dropping in 25 points, but ultimately the deficit was too much to overcome, especially against an opponent that seemingly couldn’t miss.
“I think the effort was there for the whole game, but that second half, I haven’t seen a shooting performance like that from us in my time here,” said Friesen. “When shots start to fall, everyone starts getting a little more confidence and the hoop seems to be a bit bigger for everyone.”
The Cascades remain at home and welcome the MacEwan Griffins to the Envision Athletic Centre for two games next weekend. Game 1 tips off at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, while the second game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start on Saturday.
Up next for the Heat is a two-game series at home vs. the UNBC Timberwolves. They tip off at 8 p.m. on Friday and 7 p.m. on Saturday.
– by Russell Arbuthnot, UFV Cascades communications staff
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