Julia Tuchscherer is just 17 years old, but she played with the poise of a veteran – and stuffed the stat sheet like one – in the UFV Cascades' 73-48 win over the UNBC Timberwolves on Saturday.
The Cascades' rookie centre was dominant at both ends of the floor at the UFV Athletic Centre, racking up game-high totals of 25 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks, and adding three assists as the hosts improved to 2-0.
Alina Shakirova (22 points) led the way for the Timberwolves, who fell to 1-1 in early-season Canada West action.
"I know that Julia can play at this level," said
Al Tuchscherer, who should know – he's the Cascades' head coach, and Julia's dad.Â
"She's got good hands and a good sense of the game, and tonight that showed. We think she can be a double-double person quite frequently."
Aside from
Julia Tuchscherer's strong play in the paint, a distinctive for the Cascades in the first half on Saturday was their shooting struggles from beyond the arc. They went 0-for-14 in the first half, yet were able to build a 36-21 lead at the break by shooting 60 per cent inside the arc and winning the battle of the boards by a 29-21 margin.
The Cascades maintained the double-digit lead throughout the third quarter, and were able to expand it beyond the 20-point mark in the fourth as they warmed up from distance. Five straight points from
Nikki Cabuco – including an elusive trey – pushed the lead to 68-47, and the hosts cruised from there.
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Julia Tuchscherer arrived at UFV one year ahead of schedule – originally, she'd been on pace to be part of the high school graduating class of 2022. Yet with her sporting pursuits grinding to a halt amidst COVID-19 shutdowns, the youngest Tuchscherer sister was able to work ahead academically and graduate from Chilliwack's G.W. Graham Secondary in the spring of 2021.Â
"I'm sure there were people wondering if that was the right decision for her, or if she should have stayed in high school for another year,"
Al Tuchscherer said. "But every family makes those decisions on their own, and we know Julia as good as anybody. She was comfortable with the decision and we supported it 100 per cent. I feel like it was the right decision."
After Saturday, it's hard to argue.
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The Cascades also got double-figure scoring performances from Cabuco (16 points, six assists) and
Maddy Gobeil (12 points), while
Victoria Jacobse hauled in 10 rebounds.
Shakirova was the T-Wolves' lone double-digit scorer; Svetlana Boykova contributed 11 rebounds and Sarah Kuklisin scored nine.
The Cascades basketball teams are back in action next weekend on the road, facing the UBC Thunderbirds in a Friday-Saturday set at War Memorial Gym.
