VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds reached triple digits for the first time in five years, defeating the UBCO Heat 106-47 in a confident and well-rounded performance on Saturday's Seniors Night. With the win, the U SPORTS No. 6-ranked T-Birds closed their home regular season with a 16-2 record, while the Heat dropped to 6-12.
"We're really starting to see all the options we have," said UBC head coach Isabel Ormond. "We play a lot with our forwards inside and off the dribble, so seeing people hit shots last night and tonight is just good for all the work that we're putting in and makes us a threat inside and out."
Olivia Weekes led the charge for the 'Birds and was one of five scorers to hit double-digits on the team with 21 points and six rebounds. Mona Berlitz put up an impressive 17 points and seven rebounds in the well-earned victory.
Kelsey Falk earned 13 points and five rebounds for the Heat, while Ava Heppner, Lily Pink, and Abby Smith each contributed six points.
Emily Martindale opened the scoring for the Thunderbirds, setting the tone for a composed and confident start by the hosts. Jessica Clarke made a big impact early, forcing a turnover and adding two points from the post on the same play. UBCO struggled with poor shooting in the opening minutes, falling victim to UBC's relentless defense. A cut and reverse layup by Weekes capped off a 10-0 run for the 'Birds, pressuring Heat coach Bobby Mitchell to call a timeout. The break energized UBCO, leading to a 7-1 scoring run, but the Thunderbirds held firm. Despite a back-and-forth pace to close the quarter, UBC maintained a comfortable lead, ending the frame 23-15.
The Thunderbirds extended their dominance in the second quarter, led by Berlitz's six-point unanswered streak, fueled by a defensive steal. Keira Daly, Cerys Merton, and Weekes drained shots from beyond the arc, while Clarke remained unstoppable in the post. UBCO's Kelsey Falk and Tennyson McCarthy contributed offensively but couldn't make up the deficit. By halftime, UBC had built up a 57-28 lead, shooting an impressive 62.9% (22 of 35).
The 'Birds showed no signs of slowing down in the third quarter, continuing to dominate on both ends of the floor. UBC excelled at the free-throw line, converting 13 of 17 attempts. Nicole Daly ended the quarter with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to stretch UBC's lead up by 20 points at 88-39.
In the final period, Sara Toneguzzi drove to the basket, drawing a foul and sinking one of her free throws to bring UBC within one point of the century mark. Moments later, Maddy Miller reached the milestone with an and-one play, completing the free throw to put UBC up 102-42. Nicole Daly added another three-pointer to close out the weekend with a dominant 106-47 victory, marking UBC's first triple-digit game since January 18, 2020 against the Victoria Vikes.
"I don't think those stats are anything we're striving for, but we've had multiple games this year where we've been in the mid and high 90s," added Ormond when asked about reaching triple digits. "It's something that we thought might happen if we keep our offensive pace and defensive intensity the way we're looking for."
The Thunderbirds close out the regular season with a final weekend series at UNBC on February 14 and 15. Since they have already clinched the top spot in the Pacific Division, next weekend will act as preparation for the Canada West playoffs.
