PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – A big second quarter followed by an even bigger second half powered the Thunderbirds (9-4) to a road win over the UNBC Timberwolves (1-12).
 
Cassie Joli-Coeur led the way with 20 points (doubling her previous season-high) and eight rebounds off the bench. Sofia Bergman also had a big performance off the bench with 11 points and four boards.
 
Olivia Weekes, meanwhile, recorded her fourth double-double in the last five games with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and in the process passed Keylyn Filewich for second-most career rebounds in Canada West play in program history (684).


 
UNBC did a good job of keeping things close in the first quarter, holding the Thunderbirds to 17 points in the opening 10 minutes and forcing a number of turnovers.
 
But while UBC was cold from the outside to begin the game, they dominated the inside, scoring 26 of their 38 first half points in the paint while limiting the Timberwolves to just eight in that category.
 
The lead hovered around five points until midway through the second, when Joli-Coeur took over with eight straight on the inside for the visitors. Weekes punctuated the run with an and-one in the final minute to put the T-Birds up 12 at halftime.
 
The Thunderbirds only extended their lead in the third, outscoring the Timberwolves 22-14 in the frame. A pair of Kiarra Kelly triples helped her team pull away, and the T-Birds were able to cruise to the win from there.


 
After dropping 85 points on the Trinity Western Spartans last Friday, the 84 points scored against the Timberwolves in this game means that the T-Birds have notched their two highest-scoring performances of the season within their first three games of the new year.
 
They'll aim to keep that momentum going on Saturday, when they face off against the Thompson Rivers WolfPack (6-9) in Kamloops at 4:00 p.m. (PT).