The UNBC Timberwolves (4-16) left it all on the floor tonight, but it wasn’t quite enough to vanquish the high-flying UFV Cascades men’s basketball team (15-5), who scraped out a 67-61 victory by the sweat of their brows and the skin of their shooting hands. Tonight’s game was the closest the Cascades have played in some time, so close that they led by only two points with 1:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. UFV now sits at second in thePacific division, two games down from Victoria and three games up on TRU with only two games remaining in the season.
It was a scary first half for the Cascades as the Timberwolves shot .419 from the floor and .500 (7-14) from behind the arc. Staying with the streaking UNBC shooters took all UFV had, and the Cascades were lucky to enter halftime down only by two, 33-31, after their opponents went 4-7 from downtown in the second quarter. The Timberwolves seemed to sense something magic in the air tonight, and they played like a team one win shy of an appearance at Sochi (no one told them, apparently, that basketball is a summer Olympics sport).
Thankfully for UFV, the Timberwolves cooled off in the second half and the Cascades were able to win both the third and fourth quarters to take the game. UNBC made a late fourth-quarter run to narrow the lead to two, but the Cascades worked themselves out of trouble with flawless foul-shooting (4-4 in the last minute) and smart ball movement. Three Cascades played the full forty minutes in a game that came much closer than anyone predicted, and displayed a new maturity in this UFV squad that wasn’t there in October and November.
The Timberwolves were led by graduating senior Charles Barton with 15 points and 16 rebounds. Close on his heels was another graduating senior, Daniel Stark, with 13 points and six rebounds of his own. The Cascades seemed to have a quiet night with Jasper Moedt and Kevon Parchment both contributing a mere 17 points, and Klaus Figueredo chipping in 14. That being said, Kadeem Willis pulled out a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds, and Parchment slammed in three fast-break dunks.
“UNBC played so well and with so much energy tonight that it was a great challenge for us,” said UFV head coachAdam Friesen. “Really proud of the boys for fighting together and supporting each other throughout the entire game. We made a bunch of great plays down the stretch and are fortunate to come away with the win.”
The Cascades will return to the lower mainland next weekend to face local rivals the TWU Spartans. Catch the action online at canadawest.tv
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