The University of the Fraser Valley women's basketball team dropped a 71-64 decision to the Lethbridge Pronghorns on Friday afternoon at the Hoopfest Invitational Tournament, hosted by the Alberta Pandas.
The Cascades got a big game from Taylor Claggett, who netted 19 points to go with eight rebounds, and Amanda Thompson swished five three-pointers en route to a 16-point outing.
Despite the end result, UFV head coach Al Tuchscherer was pleased with the competitive spark his group showed.
"The girls played really hard today," he said. "It was a real positive step forward for us. If we compete like that, we'll be in a lot of ballgames this season."
The Cascades wrap up the tourney on Saturday, facing the Victoria Vikes (1 p.m. Mountain / 12 p.m. Pacific). It's a rematch of last year's first-round Canada West playoff clash, which was won by the Vikes 91-62.
The UFV squad is gearing up for the opening weekend of Canada West conference play, Oct. 26-27 at home vs. Thompson Rivers. Games run next Friday (women 6 p.m., men 8 p.m.) and Saturday (women 5 p.m., men 7 p.m.) at the Envision Financial Athletic Centre.
