The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades women’s basketball team are now a perfect 6-0 after sweeping the UNBC Timberwolves at home on Friday (Nov. 18) and Saturday (Nov. 19).
Heading into the weekend as second-ranked in the nation, the Cascades actually trailed 12-8 after one quarter but then outscored UNBC 24-17 in the second and 21-6 in the third to cruise to the 68-57 win.
The back court duo of Maddy Gobeil (14 points) and Nikki Cabuco (12 points) were the lone players to reach double digits on Friday. Gobeil added five rebounds and five assists. Deanna Tuchscherer grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
Despite the win, Cabuco stated that the team still needs work.
“We struggled to find a cohesive way to all be on the same page right away,” Cabuco analyzed afterward. “That just showed tonight with all the balls that were fumbling out of our hands and all the turnovers we had in the first quarter. I think we realized – or we should know – that we are going to be winning these types of games by doing it all together. That isn’t just passing the ball nicely together or shooting the ball 100 per cent. It’s more being together mentally.”
🏔🎥 | Highlights from tonight's WBB win which saw them improve to 5-0 in @CanadaWest play! #WeClimbWeConquer pic.twitter.com/hpiwSsx3zk
— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) November 19, 2022
Saturday featured another first that UFV ended up trailing (15-9), but a dominant second quarter (20-7) led to a dominant 78-45 victory.
Gobeil again led the way with 17 points to go with five assists, while Cabuco added 14 and Bernie Leda recorded 12 points in just 16 minutes on the floor. Natalie Rathler grabbed nine rebounds, while Tuchscherer added nine assists. The Cascades held UNBC to just 26.2 per cent shooting and had just 13 turnovers as a team.
“We didn’t play well as a team last night, and that was the main focus for us today,” Gobeil said afterward. “At the end of the day, I think we did come out and play the way we wanted to play. We have a lot still to work on, but we took a couple steps back last night and we took some steps forward today.”
🏔🎥 | Highlights from yet another W for Cascades WBB… spoiler alert, there's a LOT of @maddygobeil in this one! 🔥🔥🔥#WeClimbWeConquer pic.twitter.com/XiY5HUSlnN
— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) November 20, 2022
Friday’s men’s game was a see-saw battle that eventually saw the Cascades edge UNBC 79-75. An 11-0 run in the fourth quarter helped UFV earn the win.
Dhivaan Bhogal had an excellent game, scoring 22 points to go with 16 rebounds and six assists. Courtenay Anderson added 17 points and five rebounds, while Dario Lopez scored 14 points and collected nine rebounds.
“Just super-proud of our guys as far as how they handled adversity,” Cascades head coach Joe Enevoldson enthused. “I’m super-proud of their efforts tonight, win or lose – and obviously it’s great we won the basketball game – but I’m proud of how hard we played, and how we played together.”
🏔🎥 | A tough-minded performance on their home court tonight for Cascades MBB. Check out the sights and sounds, courtesy @NotValleyFilms!#WeClimbWeConquer pic.twitter.com/LJJuy7wel5
— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) November 19, 2022
Saturday saw the Timberwolves take over the game offensively in the second quarter and post an 88-67 win.
The Cascades struggled from beyond the arc, making just three of 15 in the loss. Bhogal had another strong game with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Anderson added 15 points and Lopez collected 10 points and eight rebounds.
The men’s record drops to 3-3 with the loss and they sit in ninth place in the Canada West standings.
Both the men and the women now hit the road for the remainder of the calendar year and next take on the UBCO Heat in Kelowna on Nov. 25 and 26. The teams then travel to Langley to take on the TWU Spartans on Dec. 2 and 3.
The teams next home games occur on Jan. 13, 2023 when they host the Calgary Dinos.
RELATED: UFV Cascades women’s basketball team run record to 4-0
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Guard Adam McDonald collides with a UNBC defender during men’s basketball action. (John Morrow/Abbotsford News)
