After a pair of big wins in Calgary over the Mount Royal Cougars on Friday (Feb. 2) and Saturday (Feb. 3), it appears that the University of Fraser Valley Cascades women’s basketball team has clinched a first-round playoff bye.
The top-four teams in Canada West receive byes and the Cascades currently sit in fourth place with a 15-3 record.
The Regina Cougars rank fifth with a record of 13-5 – but even if the Cougars win the final two games of the season and the Cascades lose both – UFV will still finish ahead of Regina based on having a higher RPI.
Canada West uses RPI (35% team winning percentage (WP) x 1.1 away win + 0.9 home win, 40% opponents’ average winning percentage (OWP), and 25% opponents’ opponent’s average winning percentage) for tiebreakers.
Using the RPI scenarios found at usportshoops.ca., the Cascades can finish no lower than fourth and could finish as high as third.
UFV will be hosting the Canada West women’s basketball championships from Feb. 21 to 25. It’s the first time ever that they will be held in Abbotsford. With the bye, the Cascades’ first game of the tournament will occur on Feb. 22.
Meanwhile on the court on Friday, the women jumped out to a 22-11 lead after one and cruised to a dominant 73-47 win.
Deanna Tuchscherer scored a team-high 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the win. Maddy Gobeil added 12 points, eight rebounds and five steals. The Cascades had balanced scoring throughout the lineup, with eight players scoring five points or more.
UFV held the Cougars to just 25.4 per cent shooting in the win.
Saturday proved to be a stiffer challenge for the Cascades, as they were up by just two points at halftime but a dominant second half led to a 70-49 win. UFV outscored Mount Royal 32-13 in the final two quarters to collect the win.
Gobeil poured in 17 points and recorded six assists, while Nikki Cabuco added 14 points. D. Tuchscherer contributed with 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
WBB | After some nice ball movement, Esther Allison drains the triple and the Cascades lead MRU! pic.twitter.com/eWm3kIofXD
— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) February 4, 2024
The win marked the fifth straight victory for the women.
The men earned a split against the Cougars, picking up an 84-74 win on Friday.
Matthias Klim set a new program single-game record on Friday with 21 rebounds, breaking a record that had stood since 2014. Klim also led the team with 21 points.
UFV opened with a 14-4 first quarter and led throughout the game.
“Matthias is playing with some great confidence since he was put into the starting lineup, and he’s playing with more activity and playing a bit tougher,” stated men’s head coach Joe Enevoldson. “He rebounded the heck out of it tonight, but he’s playing to his strengths and becoming a bit more multidimensional. I thought he took another step forward tonight.”
MBB | From the turnover to the bucket! pic.twitter.com/CD47VBnu33
— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) February 3, 2024
Saturday saw the Cascades fall 72-70 and fall just short of a comeback bid.
Dario Lopez led the way with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Dylan Kinley collected 20 points and 10 boards himself.
The men’s record now sits at 7-11 and they sit in the 12th and final playoff spot. The only team that could catch the Cascades is the UBCO Heat, who host the Manitoba Bisons this weekend.
The UFV men’s and women’s teams close the regular season by hosting the TWU Spartans on Friday (Feb. 9) and Saturday (Feb. 10).