Hot shooting led the UFV Cascades to an 80-77 win over the MacEwan Griffins on Friday, but they couldn’t keep up the offence in a rematch on Saturday.
The Cascades shot a blistering 50 per cent from beyond the arc on Friday, and 45 per cent overall to post the win in Edmonton. Kevon Parchment led the way, posting his fifth straight double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Forward Manny Dulay added 18 points and seven rebounds.
UFV led for most of the game, but the Griffins staged a late comeback to pull within three points. Cascades head coach Adam Friesen said his team still needs to learn how to close out games on the road.
“We played some of our best basketball for the first three quarters,” he said. “We’re not yet a great road team, and closing out games hasn’t been easy for us this year. MacEwan made a great push like we knew they would, and we were fortunate to hang on.”
The Cascades struggled offensively on Saturday, losing 74-54 to MacEwan.
Parchment again had a double-double, with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Navjot Bains added 12 points and 11 boards. Friesen said the Griffins deserved the win.
“Full credit to MacEwan – they competed harder than us, and they played a physical game tonight,” he said. “They deserved the outcome. We tried, but we couldn’t get a rhythm going offensively. We couldn’t get a lot of traction in the game.”
The men’s team sits in second place in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport’s Explorer division, with a record of nine wins and five losses.
The UFV women’s basketball team struggled against the Griffins, losing 76-61 on Friday, and 80-69 on Saturday.
Kayli Sartori scored 27 points and grabbed seven rebounds on Friday, but the Griffins exploded in the fourth quarter for 32 points to pick up the win.
“They got a six- to eight-point lead with five minutes to, and we had to open things up, and that’s not really our style,” said women’s head coach Al Tuchscherer. “They’re a veteran team, and they know how to close out games. We’re still trying to figure that out, unfortunately.”
The Griffins again outlasted the Cascades on Saturday, outscoring UFV 42-30 in the second half to earn the win.
Guard Shayna Cameron led the Cascades with 18 points, while Kate Head added 13.
“They were just a little bit better than us,” Tuchscherer said. “I thought we played really hard, and I was proud of how we competed. They (MacEwan) are a team that doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, and when you make mistakes, they make you pay for them. They’re a good, veteran team.”
The losses drop the Cascades to fourth place in the Explorer division, with a record of seven wins and seven losses. The teams next head Kelowna for games against the UBC-O Heat on Friday and Saturday. The next home games for the teams occur on Feb. 12 and 13.