The University of the Fraser Valley women's basketball team wrapped up a stunning sweep of the nation's No. 10-ranked team, knocking off the UNBC Timberwolves 74-71 on Saturday evening at the Envision Financial Athletic Centre.

Coming off a 72-66 triumph in Friday's opener, the Cascades and T-Wolves once again battled down to the wire, with the hosts making a few more plays down the stretch than did the visitors.

Taylor Claggett, fresh off a 28-point outburst the night before, racked up 25 points and 11 rebounds to set the tone for the Cascades. Katelyn Mallette had a huge contribution off the bench with 15 points in just 12 minutes, and Amanda Thompson counted a trio of three-pointers among her 13 points.

Madison Landry paced UNBC with 19 points, Maria Mongomo (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Vasiliki Louka (16 points, 11 boards) had double-doubles, and Alina Shakirova scored 13 off the bench.

The Cascades leveled their record at 5-5, while the T-Wolves fell to 6-2.

In the aftermath, UFV bench boss Al Tuchscherer acknowledged his team carried itself with a new sense of confidence this weekend.

"It was a big step for our team – believing in ourselves, believing in the work we've put in, and believing in each other," Tuchscherer enthused. "You could see it on the court – sharing the ball, being there for each other defensively. I'm proud of them.

"We talked after the game about how some of the practices the past few weeks have been pretty tough. We've been working hard, and that's why you do those things – so you can play a tough game for 40 minutes. I thought that was a huge factor in our success."

The Cascades picked up where they'd left off on Friday, building an early 16-8 lead behind seven quick points from Claggett. They maintained a 35-28 lead at the break, and stretched the lead to double digits at 64-54 early in the fourth after Mallette poured in five straight points to open the final frame.

Canada West leading scorer Mongomo took over at that point, reeling off seven points consecutively to cut the visitors' deficit to 64-61. But from that point, the Cascades answered every UNBC bucket with one of their own. Mongomo drilled a three-pointer from the left wing with 40 seconds left in regulation to get the T-Wolves to within 70-68, but with 25 seconds left, UFV rookie forward Madeline Beerwald came through with a 15-foot baseline jumper to make it a two-possession game. It was a moment of déjà vu for Beerwald, who made an almost identical shot in the dying seconds on Friday.

Mongomo missed a trey on the next trip, and Claggett sealed the deal with a pair of free throws. Landry connected from downtown at the buzzer to provide the final margin.

It was a true team effort for the Cascades, who got well-rounded performances from the starting backcourt of Kate Head (seven points, five assists, four rebounds) and Victoria Jacobse (five points, seven rebounds, four assists).

"You don't want to overlook what Taylor did this weekend – she's been doing that every weekend for us, and it's the other kids stepping up who become the difference-makers for us," Tuchscherer noted. "Madeline last night, and Katelyn tonight. And I thought Victoria and Kate were really good this weekend, distributing the ball and hitting timely shots. And it was nice having Amanda back this weekend. Defensively she's a difference-maker, and she's shooting the ball really well right now. You're starting to see a glimpse of our potential as a team."

The Cascades basketball teams wrap up their first-semester schedules this coming weekend, as they visit the UBC Okanagan Heat.