VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds kicked off the conference season with an emphatic win over Brandon on Friday, downing the visiting Bobcats 88-21 at War Memorial Gym.
The T-Birds had control of the game from the start, holding Brandon to a single point in the opening quarter and forcing 13 Bobcat turnovers in the frame.
Brandon scored 13 of its 21 points in the second quarter, but the 'Birds still took a 30-point lead into halftime.
Zara Huntley led the home side with 14 points in the first half, and sophomore shooting guard
Kris Young dished out seven assists before the break.
UBC held Brandon to just seven points in the second half, and Young kept up her stellar play, pouring in 10 second half points to finish with a game-high 18 to go along with her seven assists and five steals.
"She has tremendous potential," UBC head coach
Deb Huband said of Young. "Sometimes her laid-back manner can be her worst enemy on the floor but as she gets more confident and aggressive you're going to see more and more out of her. She's a complete player."
In addition to Young and Huntley, Alex and
Erika Vieweg also hit double-digits in scoring.
Leigh Stansfield led all players with 11 rebounds.
Cassandra Knievel led the UBC rookies with seven points and five assists in 16 minutes of court time.
Aimee Johnston led the Bobcats with 10 points, and grabbed six rebounds.
The win gives UBC a 1-0 start to the conference season, while the Bobcats fall to 0-3. The 'Birds don't have time to celebrate their strong start yet though, as the CIS No. 1 Regina Cougars come to War Memorial on Saturday.
"We're just excited to get playing," said Huband. "We knew Brandon is coming in ranked 14th in our conference and Regina is ranked first, so hopefully we got a chance to get everyone out there tonight and get ready, and hopefully we still have some energy left for tomorrow night."
The 'Birds and Cougars clash at 5 p.m. on Saturday at War Memorial Gym.
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