ABBOTSFORD – The UBC Thunderbirds (1-1) picked up their first win of the Canada West campaign after a commanding 77-48 win over the UFV Cascades (1-1) in Abbotsford on Saturday afternoon.
Mona Berlitz was a force on both sides of the ball for the 'Birds, posting 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on over 70 per cent shooting. While
Cerys Merton played floor general for the blue and gold, racking up a career-high 11 assists en route to the victory.
Both sides were neck-and-neck to start, but Berlitz began to heat up when she checked back in just past the midway point of the opening frame. The fourth-year forward scored five straight points for her squad, and after Merton added a three-pointer to the mix, Berlitz capped the 10-0 scoring run with a fastbreak jumper from the elbow to hand the 'Birds a 13-point lead.
UFV fought back to start the second, but with five minutes remaining in the half, UBC turned up the heat. The visitors went on a commanding 15-0 run in just under a four-minute span, with Berlitz and
Stella LaGrange combining for nine of those points, handing the T-Birds a 47-21 advantage heading into the break.
Both sides managed to tack on a handful of points to start, but defence stole the show throughout the first five minutes. That changed when UFV began piecing together some successful possessions as the clock wound down, and Fania Taylor closed out the frame with an emphatic three-pointer from distance to beat the buzzer, capping a 13-3 run for the Cascades.
UFV carried that momentum over into the early parts of the fourth, but the 'Birds began clamping down on defence. While on offence, Berlitz led the way once again as she scored nine of her 24 total points in the frame to seal the decisive 77-48 victory.
With the win, the T-Birds will stay on the road and take on the UBCO Heat in Kelowna for their next matchup. Tip-off is set for Friday, November 6 at 5:00 p.m. (PT), and you can watch every second on
CanadaWest.tv
