The University of the Fraser Valley women's basketball team locked up the West Division title on Wednesday evening, pulling away in the second half to defeat the UNBC Timberwolves 73-60 in Prince George, B.C.
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U SPORTS No. 7-ranked Cascades ran their win streak to seven and their record to 15-2 in Canada West action, ensuring with one game still to play in the regular season that they'll finish ahead of the Trinity Western Spartans (15-3) due to the fact they own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
A balanced attack was the Cascades' recipe for success, as five players scored in double figures –
Nikki Cabuco (15),
Maddy Gobeil (13),
Julia Tuchscherer (12),
Deanna Tuchscherer (11) and
Natalie Rathler (10).Â
Alina Shakirova (14 points) and Svetlana Boykova (11 points, 12 rebounds) responded for the Timberwolves (7-9), who wrap up the rare midweek series against UFV on Thursday (6 p.m., CanadaWest.tv presented by Co-op).
"It was one of those games where we got the job done eventually," said Cascades head coach
Al Tuchscherer, whose team led by six points at the half but pushed the margin beyond 20 in the fourth quarter. "They (UNBC) play a little bit different than some of the other teams in the conference, and we didn't adjust very quickly. We were able to generate a few turnovers and got some easy baskets in transition, and that seemed to spark our offence a little bit and give us a bit of a cushion to bring the game home."
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The Cascades started strong, opening an 8-2 lead behind four points from Rathler. The T-Wolves equalized with a 6-0 run, and the two teams stayed within a bucket or two through the middle of the second quarter, where the Cascades fashioned a 7-0 surge to gain some separation.Â
Deanna Tuchscherer had her fingerprints all over that stretch of basketball – the sophomore standout assisted on a Gobeil three-pointer, hit a layup in a paint off an offensive rebound, then got a steal at the defensive end and pushed the ball in transition, assisting Cabuco's fast-break layup.Â
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UFV led 30-23 at that point and would take a 34-28 cushion into halftime, with Cabuco and Gobeil leading all scorers with nine points apiece. Laura Garmendia Garcia, with eight points, led the way for the T-Wolves, while top scorer Shakirova was limited to two points in the first half.
Shakirova heated up in the third quarter, pouring in 12 points in the frame, but the Cascades methodically continued to build their lead. They reeled off a 14-2 run, with solid defence leading to transition offence, and led by as many as 16 before taking a 57-45 lead into the fourth.
The visitors kept the pedal to the metal, opening the fourth on a 7-0 run to effectively put the game away. They would expand the margin as high as 21, and eased their way home from there.
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Wednesday's result secured the Cascades' first division crown since 2014, when they won their second of back-to-back titles in what was then known as the Pacific Division.
"Honestly, it doesn't mean a heck of a lot," Coach Tuchscherer asserted. "We're heading into playoffs here, and we know that's going to be tough. Nobody remembers who division champions are. We want to compete for a conference championship, and that's where we're headed, so we're in a good place."
Deanna Tuchscherer threatened a triple-double, adding eight rebounds and seven assists before taking a seat on the bench with seven minutes left in regulation and UFV firmly in control. Rathler tied her for team-high honours with eight rebounds, and Cabuco, with four steals, spearheaded a larcenous defence which generated 15 steals in total and forced 28 UNBC turnovers.
Alexis Worrell, with nine points, nearly made it six Cascades in double digits, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line.
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