A fast start gave way to a tough finish for the University of the Fraser Valley women's basketball team, as they suffered their first loss of the campaign by a 60-59 count to the UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver on Friday evening.

The Cascades were white-hot in the early going, opening a 14-0 lead just four minutes into the first quarter. But the fouls began to pile up at that point – most notably on UFV rookie standout Julia Tuchscherer – and points were tougher to come by.

That paved the way for the hosts to stage a comeback, and they managed to eke out the win as Deanna Tuchscherer's jumper from the elbow rimmed out at the final buzzer.

The Cascades (2-1) and Thunderbirds (1-2) renew hostilities on Saturday (5 p.m., CanadaWest.tv presented by Co-op).

Sophomore point guard Maddy Gobeil was dominant in the first quarter for the Cascades – she drained a trio of treys in the opening minutes, and Deanna Tuchscherer capped the 14-0 game-opening run with a fast-break layup off a Gobeil assist.
 

?? WBB | Ummm... decent start for the Cascades!@maddygobeil ? @nikki_cabuco ? @deannamae462 for the fast-break layup, and it's 14-0 for the visitors early! ??????#GoCascades pic.twitter.com/XMm2aOpr18

— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) November 6, 2021

At that point, the Cascades picked up six straight fouls, sparking a Thunderbird rally to close it to 19-14 at the end of the opening frame.

Gobeil opened the second with her fifth trey of the night to make it 22-14, but the hosts hung in and were able to draw to within 32-31 at the break.
 

?? WBB | Rookie forward Esther Allison drains the corner triple for her first points as a Cascade!

UFV up by six in the 2Q.#GoCascades pic.twitter.com/w1EJhu5W7n

— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) November 6, 2021

Julia Tuchscherer was whistled for her third personal foul in the dying seconds of the first half, and she played just 59 seconds in the third and fourth quarters combined before picking up two more fouls, thus fouling out of the game. The rookie, coming off a 25-point, 18-rebound outing last Saturday vs. UNBC, was on the court for just 11 minutes on Friday.

UFV led 45-43 through three quarters and were up 58-51 after a Deanna Tuchscherer jumper with four minutes left in regulation, but the Thunderbirds scored the next seven points to knot the score 58-58. After Deanna Tuchscherer split a pair of free throws to give UFV a one-point lead, UBC's Kate Johnson drained a baseline jumper to put UBC up 60-59, and Deanna's jumper drew iron at the buzzer.

Gobeil's 20 points were a game-high, and she added six rebounds and six assists. Deanna Tuchscherer scored 19, Nikki Cabuco added 10 points, and Victoria Jacobse had a team-best eight rebounds.

Johnson paced the T-Birds with 19 points, and Azalya Forstbauer added 11.