VANCOUVER – The Thunderbirds rose to the occasion in their season opener as three players finished the night with double-doubles on route to a 68-57 win over the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, marking Isabel Ormond's first victory as the head coach of the T-Birds at War Memorial Gym.
Mona Berlitz led the charge for the 'Birds with 17 points, eleven rebounds, and two assists.
Olivia Weekes added 12 points and 17 rebounds, while
Emilia Banmann contributed another ten points and ten rebounds.
"We scouted and knew going into this game to find advantages on the inside, so all week we worked on being strong and holding our post-ups," said Ormond. "Lethbridge has some great strength and size in the paint, so for us, it was practicing that and working on that pass to set them up for success."
The Pronghorns' captain, Tobore Okome, led the team with 16 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, while Courtney McKee added 11 points, one rebound, and two steals.
Ormond's squad was off to a great start. They started with full-court pressure right out of the gate and took an early 10-2 lead charging from the defensive end of the floor. The defense that led into offense propelled
Hailey Counsell to knock down two early three-pointers to set the pace early.
However, the Pronghorns persisted. After a few empty possessions, the visiting team started to play aggressively around the offensive glass, racking up a few baskets coming from Okome and McKee. The pair combined for six quick points.
Coming out in the second quarter, the Pronghorns cut the lead down to just four, 33-29. Okome continued to lead the charge for the opposition as she set up her teammates, drew fouls, and finished at the rim.
But
Mona Berlitz stepped up big for the Thunderbirds. After the Pronghorns cut the deficit to just four, Berlitz finished back-to-back layups at the rim, giving the momentum back to the 'Birds. She led the charge in the second quarter and led the team with 12 points and six rebounds at half.
The Thunderbirds kept the pressure up, as their focus and competitive energy started to edge out the Pronghorns, forcing 23 total turnovers.
"For me, I want to highlight and spotlight our third quarter where we held them to five points," added Ormond. "That's the kind of defensive focus and energy we can bring."
First-year guard,
Jade Huynh played a huge role at the start of the third, with back-to-back steals, converting the first one with a layup and setting up Weekes for an early and-one opportunity. The Thunderbirds continued the full-court press and extended their lead to 20 points. At the end of the 3rd, the 'Birds led 61-41.
Okome remained aggressive on both ends of the floor. To start the fourth, she drew back-to-back fouls, converting them to five consecutive points, but the deficit was too large to overcome.
Both teams will regroup and meet each other again on Saturday, November 4th, at 4:00 p.m. PDT at the War Memorial Gym.
