Coming into the season for the UFV Women’s basketball team, it was hard to tell exactly how they would start and whether or not they needed some in-season experience to put together multiple wins. That was all figured out by the time Saturday’s game ended against the TRU Wolfpack, as the Cascades now start the season 2-0 with two impressive wins.
On opening night, the first quarter started fairly even with UFV’s Taylor Claggett and TRU’s Emily Vilac both having strong starts offensively. However, the Cascades got on a roll and so did Claggett, who stayed consistently tenacious on offence and defence leading to a 23-16 lead after the first quarter.
After a slow start to the second quarter for both teams, Amanda Thompson hit a three-point shot assisted by Victoria Jacobse that began another successful quarter for the Cascades, who turned a seven-point lead at the end of the first into a 22-point lead at the half.
Coming into the second half, though TRU was down significantly they weren’t willing to relinquish their fast-paced style of play. Still, however, the Cascades pushed on and got the lead up to 26-points with only two minutes and 16 seconds left in the third quarter courtesy of a jump shot from Natalie Rathler.
Heading into the fourth it was safe to say that if UFV played somewhat alright, their 23-point lead was safe, but the Wolfpack began to rally. Michele Bos and Jordon Haggerty along with the rest of the team made a comeback seem possible, putting up shots and getting to the free throw line. However, it wasn’t enough, as UFV held on to win their season opener 62-50.
Coming into their second meeting of the weekend, the Cascades were riding high after their season opening victory due to their excellent play on both sides of the ball and TRU’s struggle to shoot from the three-point line.
The game started close, similar to the previous meeting the day before. By the five-minute mark however, TRU obtained a four-point lead on Leilani Carney’s three-point shot that signified the first deep ball hit by the Wolfpack of the season. UFV’s Amanda Thompson would have something to say about that, as she hit three three-point shots of her own in the first quarter alone. When Kate Head made a jump shot with four seconds left in the first, it meant that UFV had started strong again, leading 24-18 going into the second quarter. A score would not be registered until Amanda Thompson hit her fourth three-point shot of the night at the 7:51 mark, assisted by Alexis Worrell.
The halftime score read 37-28 for UFV and despite the Cascades’ offensive output slowing with each quarter, they never lost a quarter in points and won by a whopping 14 points.
UFV’s Taylor Claggett and Amanda Thompson shone bright for the Cascades over the weekend, putting up impressive back-to-back performances with Claggett leading UFV in scoring. Big time defensive stops from Victoria Jacobse and solid effort from UFV’s bench also contributed to the victories achieved. For TRU, Michelle Bos and Jordan Haggerty contributed in ways a box score doesn’t show, giving constant hustle and oftentimes slowing UFV’s runs down with fast break layups or points at the free throw line.
Overall, it was a successful opening weekend for the Cascades, who now look to win their first road games of the season as they head to Saskatoon, S.K. to take on the Saskatchewan Huskies this Friday and Saturday.
Image: UFV Cascades Flickr
