After a pair of big wins over the weekend, the UFV Cascades men’s basketball team has some playoff breathing space.
The Cascades posted wins on Friday and Saturday against the UNBC Timberwolves, widening the gap on third place in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport’s (CIS) Explorer division.
The men’s team staged some late-game heroics against UNBC on Friday, as the Cascades were trailing by 14 points with under two minutes to go in the third, but then outscored Timberwolves 27-10 in the fourth to win 63-56.
“Really, we just didn’t turn it over or allow offensive rebounds (in the fourth quarter),” Cascades head coach Adam Friesen.
Guard Vijay Dhillon led the way with 18 points, while Kevon Parchment added 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Cascades held UNBC to just 27 per cent shooting, including only 20 per cent in the second half.
“Our intensity picked up,” Friesen said. “It’s a combination of playing better defence, but we also got fortunate at the same time. They had some good looks that just didn’t drop.”
The defensive pressure continued on Saturday, when the Cascades again held UNBC to just 31 per cent shooting, and picked up the 62-47 win.
Parchment put on another great all-around performance, collecting 16 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and five steals. Forward Nate Brown added 16 points, three rebounds and two blocks.
The team’s record now stands at eight wins and four losses after the pair of victories.
For the women’s team, history was made on both Friday and Saturday against UNBC. Friday saw the Timberwolves beat the Cascades for the first time ever, and Saturday was head coach Al Tuchscherer’s 500th game coached.
UNBC was on fire in the first half on Friday, outscoring the Cascades 40-20 to cruise to the 63-47 win. UFV struggled from the field, shooting 22 per cent and only eight per cent from beyond the arc.
Kayli Sartori had a team-high 14 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
Saturday marked Tuchscherer’s 500th game coached, and his team helped mark that achievement with an 83-56 win.
Sartori again led the way with 24 points, while Taylor Claggett added 11 points and eight rebounds.
The women are now in fourth place in the Explorer division, with a record of seven wins and five losses.
The teams next hit the road for games against Edmonton’s MacEwan Griffins on Friday and Saturday. The next home games occur on Feb. 12 when the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack come to town.