By Nathan Hutton (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: January 29, 2014
For their first home game of the calendar year, the men’s basketball team played host to the UBCO Heat (3-11) in back-to-back games.
The Cascades entered Friday night’s affair one win shy of UFV history, having established a six-game winning streak on the road.
Through the streak, the Cascades fought their way into second place in the Pacific Division with a nice cushion: six points behind first-place UVic and four points ahead of third-place TRU.
Friday night’s contest did not begin well for the Cascades. A surprisingly potent UBCO attack gave the visiting side a four-point first quarter lead.
Cascades power forward Kadeem Willis struggled to find his game early on, and after he was called on two early charges, had to sit the majority of the first half.
The first half was rough for the Cascades, who shot under 28 per cent from the field — 10 per cent from the three-point line.
A five-point half-time deficit was the perfect scenario for head coach Adam Friesen to remind his team what they had accomplished up to that point in the season and what was needed to turn things around.
“It’s not like we forgot what we were doing, it was just getting back to it,” Friesen said after the game.
The second half proved how the Cascades had grown over the past six months, as they took over the game and started to play like a team deserving of national recognition in the second half, outscoring the Heat 21-18 in the third quarter and closing the gap to two points heading into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter was where Manny Dulay thrived; Dulay caught fire, hitting four three-point field goals in quick succession, helping his team to a 24-8 quarter and the 69-55 win, their record seventh in a row.
“[We didn’t play] our best basketball. I think as a group we were nervous about this” Friesen said. “When you come off a multiple week road trip, sometimes the toughest game is the first home game … Once we got a sense of urgency at half, we started to play like we have been the last couple weeks.”
The Sasquatch player of the game was Jasper Moedt, who finished with 29 points and 14 rebounds.
The second game of the weekend did not prove to be much of a contest as the Cascades walked all over the Heat, winning the game 79-32. Not only did the Cascades smash the previous win streak record with back-to-back wins this weekend, but they also set the Canada West record for fewest points allowed in a game.
After the Friday night game Moedt commented on the winning streak and whether it means something to the team.
“I think it will looking back at it, but right now I would rather see it be eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, or whatever it is going to be.”
The Cascades are back in action next weekend to battle with the University of Regina and Brandon University.
