The University of the Fraser Valley men’s basketball team dropped a 91-79 decision to the Lethbridge Pronghorns in exhibition action on Saturday evening at the Envision Athletic Centre.
The Cascades performed well offensively, hitting 48.3 per cent of their shots from the field, but the visiting Pronghorns shot a scorching 50.7 per cent, including 7-of-19 from three-point range.
“I think offensively, we played at a pace we want to play at, and we got a solid amount of really good looks,” UFV head coach Adam Friesen said afterward. “This is the best we’ve looked offensively in a while – shooting 48 per cent, we’ll take that. We just have to make sure that defensively, we get a lot better.”
Andrew Morris scored a team-high 21 points for the Cascades. (UFV Cascades file photo)
Mike Pierzchala was the Cascades’ nemesis on this night – the Proghorns’ third-year forward racked up a game-high 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field, including 5-of-6 from three-point range. Lethbridge big men Zac Overwater (19 points), DeAngelo Ashley (14) and Elliott Sentance (11) also scored in double figures.
For the Cascades, UVic transfer Andrew Morris had a flawless shooting night, knocking down all seven of his shots from the field – including five triples – en route to a team-high 21 points. Fifth-year point guard Manny Dulay posted 17 points and seven assists, while Matt Cooley chipped in with 14 points. Nav Bains finished a point shy of a double-double with nine points and 14 rebounds.
Friesen senses his team is adjusting to the absence of Kevon Parchment, particularly at the defensive end. The rangy guard, who wrapped up his eligibility last spring, was the 2015-16 Canada West defensive player of the year.
“Right now, we’re just learning we’re in the post-Kevon Parchment defensive life,” Friesen said. “We have a lot of new faces, we have some growing pains that way, and we’re realizing we maybe got away with some stuff the last couple years because we’ve had Kevon.”
The Cascades are back in action on Tuesday, when they take on the PACWEST’s Douglas Royals in an exhibition game at Surrey’s Semiahmoo Secondary. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. The Pronghorns continue their West Coast preseason trip with a Sunday afternoon clash (3 p.m. start) vs. the UBC Thunderbirds.
The UFV basketball teams open the Canada West regular season Nov. 4-5 at home against the Saskatchewan Huskies.
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