This season was an exceptional year for the women’s basketball team at UFV, despite their season ending earlier than they would have liked.
While the Cascades had a decent preseason, going 4-3, they started their regular season with two losses in a row. Their first weekend of the season was on the road at the University of Winnipeg. There, the Cascades lost to the Wesmen in two consecutive games, with scores of 77-62 and 77-72.
Luckily for the Cascades, their next four games were at home, where they were able to go 2-0 against both the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) Heat and the University of Lethbridge Horns. Closing out the first stretch of the season was their second road trip, where they shared wins with the University of Manitoba Bisons. The first game in the series against Manitoba saw the Cascades lose 78-63; however, the next day they bounced back and won 76-65, bringing their record to 5-3 going into the December hiatus.
When the season continued for the Cascades on Jan. 3, they just narrowly lost to the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds, 76-74. Although the Cascades lost the first game of the series, this marked the last game they would lose in the regular season. The Cascades faced off against UBC the following night and won, 77-62.
The rest of the schedule saw the Cascades face off against the University of Northern British Columbia (UBCO), Trinity Western University (TWU), Mount Royal University (MRU), Thompson Rivers University (TRU), and the University of Regina. Each team the Cascades played twice, and each game saw the Cascades come out with the win. By the end of the regular season, the Cascades held fifth place in the Canada West conference, with a record of 16-4.
With momentum on their side, the Cascades entered the playoffs with confidence. The Cascades started the playoffs with a sudden elimination round against the TRU Wolfpack. Much like the two previous games against TRU, the Cascades dominated their opponent. By the time the game had ended, the Cascades won by 22 points, 76-54.
In the next round of playoffs, the Cascades again were in a sudden elimination match, this time against the University of Alberta. During the regular season, Alberta and UFV held the same record but never had a chance to play each other. With everything on the line, the Cascades were unable to perform similar to the rest of their season, scoring fewer points than any other game they had played so far, losing 64-48.
Although the season ended early for the Cascades, there is much to appreciate, like the 12-game winning streak and Taylor Claggett grabbing the UFV’s all-time leading scorer title. Although Claggett will not be returning due to aging out after playing her fifth season in the league, next year for the Cascades looks promising.
Image: UFV Athletics
Photo: Taylor Claggett
