The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades are off to the semi-finals after a heroic effort by star guard Maddy Gobeil in a 62-53 quarterfinals win over the Regina Cougars in Abbotsford on Thursday (Feb. 21).
Gobeil put on her superhero cape in the first half, pouring in 16 points and grabbing seven rebounds. The Cougars had no answer for her and she finished with 22 points (9/18 shooting) and 10 boards.
A three-minute stretch in the second quarter saw the Cascades snap a 23-23 tie and go on a 9-0 run. They never trailed again after that.
Packed house at the @goufv Athletic Centre for quarterfinal action between the @UFVCascades and @ReginaCougars in the @CanadaWest women’s basketball championships pic.twitter.com/4nGD0zu1Ok
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) February 23, 2024
Gobeil said the Cascades defence was the difference today.
“It was definitely a physical game,” she said, acknowledging that the first round bye made a big difference. “You look at the scores of the games the past couple of days and they’re not super high scoring. Everyone is locking in on defence.”
She said the benefit of being on a deep team like the Cascades is that it’s hard to focus on just one player. That fact made it easier for her to score and get open on Thursday.
Gobeil for three pic.twitter.com/3xzPCuPqv5
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) February 23, 2024
“We have so many weapons on our team that if you try to take something away there is always going to be someone else open,” she said. “It’s about finding those gaps and and capitalizing when opportunities happen.”
The UFV Athletic Centre was packed with one of the biggest crowds in recent memory for the Cascades game. Gobeil said it fired up the team.
“It’s so awesome to have such a big home crowd and a supportive community,” she said. “We have so many parents, some from out of province and so many kids we’ve coached in the community.”
The Cascades led 14-9 after one, but the Cougars tied the game up at 21 in the second quarter. The aforementioned 9-0 run then occurred and Regina cut the deficit to as low as seven in the second half but did not get closer.
WBB | CASCADES TO THE FINAL FOUR 🏔️
— Canada West (@CanadaWest) February 23, 2024
The hosts thrill the hometown supporters with a 62-53 win over Regina!
Maddy Gobeil led the way with a double-double, putting up 22 PTS and 10 REB. #WinTheWest pic.twitter.com/MsUwZuS6vL
Regina head coach Dave Taylor gave the Cascades credit for the win and stated that UFV imposed their style on his team.
“They limited our transition, we didn’t get the three-point looks and they beat us up inside,” he said. “And then in the first half especially, Maddy Gobeil was the best player on the court. That’s exactly the type of game we didn’t want.”
Taylor said when the Cougars figured the Cascades out defensively, his team struggled to score and then vice-versa when his team had success on offence.
“They beat us up on the glass, but full credit to Fraser Valley because they played their style and that’s how they won,” he added.
He admitted that CW player of the year Jade Belmore struggled at times. She shot just 4/13 but did grab 14 rebounds. Burrows said the Cascades deserve credit for how they handled Belmore.
UFV shot 34.8 per cent from the field, while holding Regina to just 29.5. Points in the paint was also a huge difference with the Cascades outscoring Regina 40-24. Offensive rebounds was also an 18-13 edge for UFV.
More nice work down low by UFV pic.twitter.com/NeuEtYLe8h
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) February 23, 2024
D. Tuchscherer with a big basket, Cascades up 47-35 with less than a minute to go pic.twitter.com/V4ujaiaKd4
— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) February 23, 2024
Cascades forward Deanna Tuchscherer had a solid game with 13 points and six rebounds, but did get into foul trouble late in the game. Julia Tuchscherer added nine points and nine rebounds.
Cascades head coach Al Tuchscherer agreed with Gobeil that it was a special night in front of a big crowd.
“It was really, really exciting to play in front of that and have the community behind us,” he said. “And we had lots of high school kids out, middle school kids out and lots of coaches. It’s fun and hopefully we caught their imagination a bit. The girls I thought really responded, they really love playing in front of that.”
Tuchscherer said his team played together and played hard on Thursday.
“Anytime they made a bit of a run, we were right there,” he said.
He also praised the play of Gobeil in the win.
The Cascades now take on the top-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies in the semi-final. That game is set for Saturday (Feb. 24) at 3 p.m. The other semi-final will see the Alberta Pandas take on the Victoria Vikes. That game occurs at 1 p.m.