VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds women's basketball team made it two straight wins on Saturday evening, completing the sweep of the Lethbridge Pronghorns with a 77-47 win at War Memorial Gym.
 
Three 'Birds hit double digits in scoring on Saturday, as forward Kara Spotton (Fort Collins, Colo.) notched 19 to pace the hosts, while Adrienne Parkin (Vancouver) added 14, and Diana Lee (North Vancouver) netted 12 points. For the 'Horns, it was guard Mariah Miller who carried the load offensively, scoring 12 points. Freshman Katie Keith hit double-digits for the second consecutive night, putting away 10 points.
 
Where the 'Birds struggled in the early going of Friday's contest, they came out with all kinds of jump in the first quarter on Saturday. By the time the fame was five minutes old, the 'Birds had jumped out to a 14-3 lead, dictating the play on both ends of the court. A couple of athletic drives from Cherub Lum (Vancouver), as well as six points from Spotton, punctuated the early first quarter.
 
The game tightened up in the latter portion of the opening stanza, but the 'Birds still managed to control the play, finishing the quarter with a comfortable 24-9 lead. Spotton paced the 'Birds in the quarter, with nine points, while Lum was right on her tail with seven.
 
The second quarter saw Lethbridge pick up the pace significantly, as they netted 19 points, the team's highest single-quarter total from either of the weekend's contests. Miller and Keith each picked up six points in the frame, showing some impressive slashing ability around the basket.
 
As well as Lethbridge shot in the second frame, the home team matched the Pronghorns' offensive output at every turn. The T-Birds knocked down 20 points of their own, with a pair of fifth-year standouts in Parkin and Lee doing the majority of the damage. Both held scoreless in the first quarter, Parkin picked up eight points with some dogged work in the paint, while Lee notched six points with some deft shooting from the outside.
 
By the halftime buzzer, the 'Birds had maintained a sizeable advantage, going into the locker room ahead 44-28.
 
Coming out of the break, it seemed like a redux of the first quarter, as UBC stretched their lead event further with a 10-2 run over the third stanza's first five minutes. Lee and guard Shilpa Khanna (Surrey, B.C.) made couple of splash plays, hitting back-to-back triples, while the T-Birds defense did an excellent job of closing shooting lanes, forcing low-percentage attempts, and a couple of Lethbridge shot clock violations.
 
With a 9-5 run over the stanza's last five minutes, the T-Birds ended the quarter up by a 28-point margin, 63-35.
 
With a commanding lead, the Thunderbirds had the opportunity to use their entire bench in the fourth quarter. A 14-14 final frame did nothing to put the result in doubt, as the 'Birds cruised to the lopsided win.
 
UBC head coach Deb Huband admits that, while there's always room to improve, overall, the weekend's performances were positive for her squad, even outside the results.
 
"These last two games have been a real team effort, and I see positive growth from the areas that we've been focusing on," said Huband. "We're trying to build some momentum and continue to grow, and I think people are responding. It was nice to be able to play a full roster tonight, get everyone on the floor, and execute what we have been working hard on in practice.
 
The 'Birds will next get a chance to execute on the road, as they head out to Winnipeg to face the Manitoba Bisons in a two-game series next weekend. The first contest will take place at 4:00 p.m. (PT) on Friday, January 15, while the second leg is set for a 2:00 p.m. (PT) start on Saturday, January 16.