VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds used an 18-6 fourth-quarter run to break open a two-point game and defeat the Western Mustangs 72-62 at the Alberta Pandas HoopFest women's basketball tournament in Edmonton on Saturday.
BOX SCORE
“This was another step in the right direction for our group,” said UBC head coach
Deb Huband. “Our offensive execution and team play was much better and we were able to move and share the ball offensively.”
Western's Laura Dally hit a layup with 9:14 left in the fourth quarter to cut UBC's lead to just 50-48 but the T-Birds responded with three consecutive three-pointers to push their lead back into double digits.
Kris Young (North Vancouver, BC) hit the first trey with 8:55 left, and then assisted on the next basket by
Adrienne Parkin before recording another three-point shot with 8:10 to go. Young got one more with 6:00 remaining.
Young finished the night with 19 points and seven assists, going 4-4 from behind the arc, while the T-Birds, as a team, shot 10-16.
UBC built its lead to 14 points in the fourth quarter when
Victoria Spangehl (Surrey, BC) nailed two foul shots with just 3:48 on the clock, capping off the 18-6 run.
Western led just once in this game, 24-22 with 7:25 to go before halftime, but UBC recorded the next 13 points, with five from Spangehl, to ensure a comfortable advantage at the break.
Spangehl scored 17 points in the game to along with her seven rebounds.
Leigh Stansfield (Victoria, BC) chipped in with a solid 14-point, nine-rebound performance.
“Our inside game complemented our outside game and we generated points in the paint and outside the arc,” said Huband. “Our defensive intensity particularly in the second quarter helped us build a cushion that we were able to preserve in the second half.”
UBC shot 53.7 percent from the field on Saturday. The team is undefeated at the HoopFest after defeating two Ontario teams. The Thunderbirds will face the host Pandas on Sunday in Edmonton. Tip off is scheduled for 1 p.m. and can also be watched live on CanadaWest.tv
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