Abbotsford, BC – Bennett O'Connor had a massive night for the UFV Cascades, leading the team in points, rebounds, and assists, as they took down the TRU WolfPack for the second straight night at the UFV Athletic Centre on Saturday. 

The result leaves the Cascades and WolfPack tied at 7-4 on the season, as UFV now heads into the winter break.

How it Happened:
UFV got off to another hot start on Saturday, as they jumped out to a 15-4 lead early, and a Dario Lopez jumper at the end of the first ensured it would still be an 11-point Cascades lead going into the second. 

However, much like the previous night, TRU would not go down without a fight. A Cason Scott jumper would cut the deficit to just four at the midway portion of the frame, but after the teams traded buckets UFV held a 39-32 lead at the break.

A pair of O'Connor buckets in the third made it 52-44 for UFV, but again TRU chipped away and a Cason dunk made it a two-point game with 7:42 remaining. Jayden Green would tie it up at 64 for the WolfPack with under four minutes left, but UFV would find their footing again late. A pair of free throws from Hayden Sansalone were followed up by an O'Connor bucket and for the second straight game Ismael Hernandez would hit a clutch three pointer in the final minutes. TRU would claw back to make it a three-point game with 19 seconds left, but Dario Lopez would hit a final shot from the charity stripe to put the game out of reach. 

Notable:
Bennett O'Connor put up 21 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists to lead the Cascades, while Dario Lopez added 15 points and five boards. Hernandez chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds in the winning effort.

Jayden Stephens had a game-high 22 points for TRU, and Dami Farinloye added 10 points.

UFV finishes off a strong November, going 7-1 in the month.

Quotable:
UFV head coach Joe Enevoldson

"For us to end on a high and eke out a close game, and Thompson Rivers win in a lot of close games – Chad does a fantastic job up there, is great. Finishing the month of November 7-1, we're playing high level basketball, but I said to the guys after don't be content. There is a lot of room for growth."

"We talked a lot about mental toughness, and against TRU you need that. They're tough, they grind you, and possessions aren't easy. I thought we had a bad two to three minute span in the third where we lost our minds a little bit, but for the most part I thought we were really mentally tough and I'm proud of the guys for that."

Up Next:
The Cascades now head into the winter break, with their next Canada West action coming on January 9 away to Victoria.

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