VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds bounced back to take down the Alberta Pandas 74-66 on Friday night at War Memorial Gym and improved to 5-2 on the Canada West season with one game remaining before the winter break.
 
"It was a slow start, but I love the defensive intensity we came out with in the second quarter," said UBC head coach Erin McAleenan after the 'Birds overcame a ten-point deficit in the first quarter and outpaced the Pandas in the second half en route to victory. "Especially for Olivia Weekes to start that quarter with a steal and go the full length of the floor. She's obviously a super talented offensive player, but also has the ability to be really disruptive defensively. I think when she's doing that it's easier for others to follow along. Huge credit to Sofia Bergman tonight as well. She started the season really well, but then was out with injury for a bit and is trying to find her groove. She's such a great rebounder and hard worker. I feel like she came in and gave us that – but also found opportunities to score. For us to have four people in double digits makes us tougher to guard. We're able to share the ball and have a lot of threats on the floor…credit to U of A, they were coming at us late and were super disruptive."


 
Weekes led the T-Birds with 16 points and added eight rebounds, Mona Berlitz had 12 points with a team-high nine boards, Emily Martindale added 12 points with four rebounds, and Bergman put up 10 points and a season-high seven rebounds in the win.
 
Claire Signatovich racked up an impressive 17 points and 15 boards for the Pandas, Emma Kary had 18 points with six rebounds, and Kiah Easton-Ihediohanma added 12 points for Alberta in just their second loss of the Canada West regular season.
 
The Pandas jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the first on a tough Signatovich finish in the paint before Morgan Harris made it a 10-point Alberta cushion with a floater in the lane at 17-7. UBC continued to push, and a Weekes jumper brought the 'Birds within five to end the quarter 17-12 Pandas.
 
The T-Birds came out firing in the second, as Weekes knotted it up at 19-19 with a three, Azalya Forstbauer lifted UBC to their first lead, and Katie Hartman extended it to 24-19. The Pandas drew even on free throws at 31-31 and Hartman maintained the tie with a nifty finish at the rim to send the two teams into halftime at 33-33.
 
A Sara Toneguzzi trey put the 'Birds ahead early in the third and Martindale added a triple of her own at 46-39 T-Birds. UBC continued to execute offensively, as Bergman knocked down a three for a 53-45 advantage. Kary responded with a tough bucket in the paint for the Pandas, but Berlitz hit a triple and the Thunderbirds led 58-49 after three.
 
Bergman drained her second three for a 63-51 UBC cushion in the fourth before Easton-Ihediohanma put Alberta back on the board with a three. The T-Birds entered the bonus midway through the quarter but the visitors continued to push, and Rylee Semeniuk made it a two-possession game at 72-66 with 1:20 remaining. Berlitz hit two free throws late to ice it as UBC held on for a 74-66 victory.


 
"We're still trying to get better at taking care of the basketball," said McAleenan as the 'Birds prepare for their final Canada West test before the winter break. "We did a really good job in the first half, but our youth shows in end of game situations. It happened in both games last weekend, but we're not as experienced and disciplined as they are. They got 20 points off of our turnovers, so we'll try to limit that and keep them off the free throw line. If we're able to limit those two areas, we'll have a pretty good shot tomorrow."
 
The two teams will square off in a rematch on Saturday inside War Memorial Gym with tip-off slated for 4:00 p.m. (PT).