ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – The Thunderbirds (11-4) put forth a consistent and full team effort on the road in a Friday matinee, as they took down the Cascades (8-8) to win their sixth game in a row.
UBC outscored the Cascades in each of the four quarters, highlighted by a 20-11 second that put them up double digits heading into the halftime break, from which they never looked back. The suffocating T-Birds' defence held the home team to 35% shooting from the field and only gave up eight free throw attempts.
On the offensive end, seven different Thunderbirds scored between eight and 12 points, showing a tremendous level of balance and depth.
Olivia Weekes led the team in both points (12) and assists (seven), while also grabbing six rebounds.
Sara Toneguzzi made it back-to-back games in double figures with 10 points and five assists, while
Cassie Joli-Coeur poured in 10 points and three rebounds off the bench.
While Julia Tuchscherer scored a game-high 17 points to go with four rebounds, five assists and three blocks, the Cascades didn't have the same type of offensive depth that the T-Birds did. Fania Taylor and Bernie Leda added a combined 16 points in support, but no one else scored than three.
After a
Sofia Bergman putback followed by a
Stella LaGrange triple put UBC up 17-13 in the dying seconds of the opening quarter, the T-Birds never gave up the lead from there. The Thunderbirds' defence truly clamped down beginning in the second, during which they held the Cascades scoreless for a nearly four-minute stretch of play.
The momentum snowballed in the third, as another bucket by LaGrange capped a 16-4 run that sent the blue and gold into the final frame up by 20 points. They were able to cruise to the victory from there.
The 72-41 final score marks the eighth time this season the T-Birds have held their opponent to 50 points or fewer, and the fourth time in their last five games that they've scored more than 70 points themselves, after doing so just twice in the first half of conference play.
The Thunderbirds and Cascades will be back at it tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. in Abbotsford, in the final outing of their four-game road trip.
