Lethbridge, Alberta…The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades women’s basketball team dropped both ends of their Southern Alberta trip as they fell 64-59 to the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns tonight at the First Choice Savings Center in Lethbridge. The Cascades Pacific Division record now stands at 11-3, a half game better than the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack, at 11-4, for first place. The Pronghorns record improves to 6-8, in the Prairie Division of Canada West.
Tonight’s game was a story of four different quarters, as Lethbridge dominate the first and fourth quarters and UFV the middle two. The Pronghorns jumped out to a quick start on the CIS number one ranked Cascades, building up an early lead and holding onto the lead after the first quarter by five points. UFV played tremendous defense in the second quarter, holding the Pronghorns to 10 points and creating 14 Lethbridge turnovers leading to a 20 point quarter and a five point lead at the break. UFV never quit and earned their first lead of the game with one minute remaining in the half as they led 25-24 on a Nicole Wierks, Chilliwack, BC basket. The Cascades shot 25 percent from the floor in the half. Aieisha Luyken, Mission, BC led UFV with 11 points and Sarah Wierks, Chilliwack, BC added 10 points as the duo scored 66 percent of UFV’s first half points.
The third quarter started with UFV continuing to smoother the Lethbridge offense holding the Pronghorns to 14 points. The Cascades did continue to shoot at a 25 percent clip but Luyken and Sarah Wierks were scoring enough quality points to maintain the lead which grew to eight points after the third quarter. Cue the fourth quarter where Lethbridge’s defense did a great job holding UFV off the scoreboard, couple that with Luyken sitting with four fouls for a good part of the first half of the final quarter and the Pronghorns were able to crawl back into the game which was tied at 49 each for four minutes remaining. The lead changed hands several times before Nicole Wierks hit a three to put UFV ahead by one point with less than two minutes to go, but that would be the last time UFV would have the lead as Lethbridge would hold onto a slim three point lead until a couple of free throws with no time left iced the win by five points.
With the loss UFV falls one game behind Regina and Calgary (12-2) for best record in the conference. There are now four teams in the Pacific Division all within one game of each other as UBC and Victoria are 10-4 and trail UFV and TRU by one win, with four weekends remaining in the regular season.
Luyken led UFV in scoring with 19 points and 4 assists. Sarah Wierks chipped in with 16 points and 14 rebounds, Nicole Wierks rounded out the Cascades in double figures with 14 points, she also pulled down 7 boards.
UFV will host the UNBC Timberwolves next weekend, on Saturday, January 26th UFV will host its annual “Shoot for the Cure” CIS breast cancer awareness night.
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