Down 38-31 after the second quarter, the Cascades needed to settle their nerves at half-time. Tuchscherer led the team to a 17-7 third frame, proving too much of a deficit for the Dinos to make up.
The Cascades now await the outcome of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and the Trinity Western Spartans QF before hitting the road for Semi-Finals (SF).
Here are five takeaways from the win on Saturday and what’s coming up next.
1. Tuchscherer makes country take note
In a game where Point-Guard (PG) Maddy Gobeil shot 6-16 from the field, and 2-8 from Three-Point (3PT) range; relatively quiet by her standards, Julia Tuchscherer would not allow the team to lose this game without a fight.
Tuchscherer racked up a statline of 16-11-7, nearing quadruple double territory with 7 Blocks (BLK), a new Cascades single-game record, and two shy of matching a national record. She was 4-10 on Field Goals (FG), and a perfect 8-8 from the Free Throw (FT) line.
2. Scoring drying up
The Dinos had four players score double digit points in defeat, while the Cascades managed just two; both Gobeil and J. Tuchscherer with 16 Points (PTS).
Defence has been their calling card for the past five years, but should UFV look to move past the Huskies or Spartans in the coming week, they’re going to need more offensively from Nikki Cabuco and Deanna Tuchscherer.
Cabuco was 2-6 on FG while D. Tuchscherer was 1-5.
3. Uncharacteristic turnovers proving costly
More than a couple Cascades seemed a little out of sorts offensively, with a number of possessions resulting in unforced errors. UFV turned the ball over 20 times compared to the Dinos at 16, leading to 21 points off turnovers for Calgary, and 13 for the Cascades. The Dinos doubled up the Cascades in fast break points, 12-6.
While UFV held the edge in second chance points, and points in the paint, limiting their self-created turnovers and breaking out faster in transition will be a major factor against either the Huskies or Spartans.
4. Getting one back
After going 3-1 in Australia during exhibition, the Cascades dropped two pre-season matches in a row to these Dinos prior to 2-24-25 league play.
UFV got the last laugh, ending Calgary’s year early in the post-season on Saturday.
“It feels good to see that we’ve made some strides as a team and we’re there,” said Coach Al Tuchscherer. “We can compete with them.”
5. Cascades vs. Huskies, déjà vu?
Last season the Cascades fell to the Saskatchewan Huskies in the SF, 84-50, denying them the opportunity to compete for gold in CW.
UFV still won bronze, an accomplishment the team is proud of… but I’m left to wonder how much of a bitter taste was left in their mouth. While the Huskies still need to beat TWU, the Cascades are preparing for an SF rematch with Saskatchewan for the second straight season.
The Huskies were the top team in the Prairie division in 2024-25 accumulating a record of 18-2, and are the reigning gold medal winners of CW.
You know what they say, if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.
