Abbotsford, BC – Cascades forward Dario Lopez returned to action for the UFV Cascades for the first time this season in a big way, as he helped lead his team to an 89-60 win over the UNBC Timberwolves on Friday at the UFV Athletic Centre. 

The win moves the Cascades to 4-4 and fourth spot in the Pacific Division, while UNBC drops to 2-6 so far in Canada West play.

Lopez, who had not played yet this season due to injury, didn't miss a step, as he led all scorers while playing limited minutes on Friday.

How it Happened:
Lopez got things going early with six points to help UFV take a 12-2 lead at the five minute mark of the opening quarter. UNBC would push back, cutting the deficit to five at the end of the frame, but six points in the second from both Dilveer Randhawa and Ismael Hernandez kept UFV in the driver's seat 43-37 at the half. 

The third corner was all UFV, as the Cascades held their opponents to just eight points while putting up 29 in the frame to take full control. After UNBC scored the opening bucket of the quarter, before an 18-2 run was capped off by an Ismael Hernandez dunk to make it a 20-point lead. UFV continued to pour on the pressure, eventually pressing their advantage to 27 points going into the fourth thanks in part to 11 points and five assists from Dilveer Randhawa in the third. 

UFV would cruise from there to come away with the victory. 

Notable:
Lopez scored a game-high 20 points and added six rebounds in 20 minutes of play for the Cascades. Randhawa added 17 points and seven assists, while Bennett O'Connor chipped in 16 points and four assists. 

Hauker Davidson had 10 points in the game for the Timberwolves, while Milan Pasquale and Justin Sunga had nine. UNBC was without conference-leading point scorer Evgeny Baukin on the night.

Quotable:
UFV forward Dario Lopez

"I was really excited. I've been waiting for this a long time, having been out for two and a half months. It took a lot of discipline and mental toughness, and finally being back is really rewarding for me."

"I think my teammates know that I'm here for them, and they are here for me. I think it's the main reason why we played well today. We're a good group, and that shows. If we can have seven players stepping up, it's better than two. We're a very complete team, so I think the mentality is just to play as a team, play together, and good things are going to come."

Up Next:
The Cascades and Timberwolves meet up once again on Saturday, with tip off set for 6pm at the UFV Athletic Centre.

To keep up with all the action follow the Cascades on social media at @ufvcascades and visit the UFV Athletics website at gocascades.ca.