VANCOUVER — The UBC Thunderbirds wasted no time asserting their dominance Friday night, exploding for a record-setting first quarter on their way to a commanding 95-53 victory over the UBC Okanagan Heat at War Memorial Gym, securing their second-highest point total of the season and maintaining momentum as the regular season nears its conclusion. With the win, the Thunderbirds improved to 15-2 on the Canada West season, while the Heat fell to 6-11 on their campaign.

Leading the way for the 'Birds was Mona Berlitz with a game high 23 points and six rebounds, while Olivia Weeks added 14 points. UBC's Nicole Daly, Jessica Clarke, and Emily Martindale also contributed with points in the double digits and Clarke grabbing seven rebounds.

Tennyson McCarthy fueled the visiting team with an incredible 12 rebounds and 15 points. Tsuki Tsuzuki chipped in with 10 points, while Lauren Foullong had six points and four assists.



The Thunderbirds controlled the game from the outset, building a commanding 14-point lead midway through the first quarter. Capitalizing on UBCO's nine turnovers and strong three-point shooting, the hosts surged ahead. By the end of the quarter, the T-Birds led 37-17, marking their highest-scoring single quarter on record (with data available since 2012).

UBC continued their dominance in the second quarter, opening with an unanswered scoring run. The Thunderbirds displayed exceptional efficiency, shooting 62.5% from the field in the first half (25 of 40), compared to UBCO's 37.5% (9 of 24).

"We came in ready to hit shots which is good," said UBC head coach Isabel Ormond. "We hit eight, three-pointers on the night so it's really exciting to see the ball go in especially when teams are doubling us so much inside and for good reason but you need to have those shooters and cutters ready so it was nice to see that come into play tonight."



The third quarter turned into a scoring stalemate, with the scoreboard remaining stuck at 66-33 for much of the period. Berlitz reignited the Thunderbirds' offence with a layup and a jump shot around the three-minute mark, punctuated by a Heat field goal. Berlitz followed up with two more baskets and a steal, helping UBC regain momentum. Despite this, UBCO showed signs of confidence late in the quarter that ended 78-36.

The Heat carried their newfound intensity into the final frame, scoring 17 points to match UBC's output. Despite a late push by the Thunderbirds to break triple digits for the first time in five years, the game turned scrappy, and the hosts fell just short. The final buzzer sounded with UBC securing a dominant 95-53 victory, their second-highest point total of the season.

I think it's huge," added Ormond when asked about the efectiveness of having five-players hit double-digit scoring. "You need to have multiple people touching the ball, taking shots, we had 27 assists tonight so that really stood out that we're looking for the best shot, whether it's you or me or somebody else we're just looking for good shots for our group and that's what happens.



The two teams will face off again on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. PT at War Memorial Gym in what will be UBC's final home game of the regular season. The Thunderbirds will also honour their graduating senior class in a pre-game ceremony.