UFV’s women’s basketball team returned home this weekend for their last two games of the regular season, after playing four consecutive games on the road. Coming off a nine-game winning streak, the Cascades hosted the University of Regina Cougars for two games, on Friday and Saturday.
Friday’s game was a battle for the Cascades. Luckily for them, the Cascades’ Taylor Claggett, Deanna Tuchscherer, and Jessica Parker were all able to score in the double digits, with 20, 14, and 13 points respectively.
By the time the first quarter of Friday’s game had ended, the Cascades held a one-point lead, at 20-19. The Cascades, however, did not hold the lead for much longer. Halfway through the quarter, the Cougars held a three-point lead. The Cascades quickly won the points back, finishing the half up by four, with a score of 30-26.
Much like the other two quarters, the third was a battle between the two teams. The Cascades continued to trail behind the Cougars, but by the time the quarter had ended, the Cascades would tie up the game, 43-43. This came when Cascades’ Alexis Worrell drained a basket from outside the three-point line.
With less than a minute and a half left in the final quarter, Claggett was fouled, and awarded two free throws. At the time of the fouls, the Cascades trailed 60-57; however, Claggett’s successful attempts from the free-throw line brought the Cascades to within one point of their competitors. With only 26 seconds left on the clock, the Cascades’ Tuchscherer drained an inside shot, bringing the Cascades to the lead, by one point. Following Tuchscherer’s basket, Parker was able to score another for the Cascades with only five seconds left, solidifying the Cascades’ 10th straight win.
Much like the previous night, Saturday saw the Cascades add another win to their record. The Cascades’ strong performance in the opening quarter saw them take a 13-point lead, 28-15, and although the home team would go on to get outscored in each following quarter, they were able to hold on to the lead, with nine points over the Cougars. By the time the game had ended, the score was 74-65, for the Cascades.
With the two wins over the weekend, the Cascades end their season on an 11-game winning streak. With all 20 games played, they finished with a 16-4 record. Heading into playoffs, the Cascades are set to host the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack. The first game of playoffs is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14.
Image: UFV Athletics
