Kelowna, BC – The UFV Cascades dominated the battle in the paint on Friday, as they outscored their opponents 44-22, on their way to a 91-85 victory over the UBC Okanagan Heat.

The win sees UFV improve to 12-7, while the Heat fall to 3-16 on the season. 

How it Happened:
UFV set the pace early in the first half, benefiting from a 60 percent shooting rate. UBCO struggled with a 30 percent conversion rate, despite forcing seven turnovers and recording six steals. Both squads capitalized on turnovers with seven points each, but the Cascades 12 points in the paint gave them a 21-17 lead at the end of the half.

In the second quarter, UFV widened their margin, outscoring UBCO 27-18, thanks to Hernandez's timely layups and a 3-pointer. UFV took advantage of turnovers, scoring five points off the Heat's four turnovers, and maintained a 13-7 rebounding edge, including five offensive boards. UBCO faced foul trouble, committing five, allowing UFV to sink five of seven free throws. At the half's conclusion, UFV led 48-35.

UBCO clawed back in the third quarter, outpacing UFV 25-20, fuelled by sharp shooting and seizing turnover opportunities. The Heat nailed three 3-pointers and sank six of eight free throws, while their defence forced seven turnovers and grabbed three steals. Despite trailing, UBCO's offensive surge was palpable, closing the quarter at 68-60.

In the final quarter, UBCO mounted a late rally, edging UFV 25-23. UBCO capitalized on UFV's five turnovers, converting them into five points. However, the Heat's comeback attempt would fall just short on the night.

Notable:
For UFV, Ismael Hernandez shone with 24 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, while Bennett O'Connor added 21 points along with six assists and two steals. Dario Lopez chipped in 19 points, and Marcus Flores had 11 boards to go with his 13 points on the night.

Jalen Shirley led the game with 30 points for UBCO, while adding five assists. Lamine Conde also chipped in 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat.

UFV won the battle in the paint, outscoring UBCO 44-22 in the paint and collecting 39 rebounds compared to just 27 from the Heat. Uncharacteristically, the Cascades turned the ball over 20 times compared to just 13 for UBCO.

Quotable:
UFV head coach Joe Enevoldson

"You want to play your best basketball, when it matters the most, and tonight we took a step coming off of the last game. Izzy [Hernandez] had a breakout night tonight. It was great to see him get going, and Dario's been consistent, Bennett's been consistent. The regulars have been really consistent and it's nice to get Izzy back into the mix of that."

"Shirley's a hell of a player and he's playing his last two last two career games at home. We have to be better in our defensive scheme with him, and we kind of let him get going a little bit, and that's going to carry forward into tomorrow night, too, because he's he's going to look to go out on a winning note."

"I mean, that's who we want to be. That's our identity as a whole. We've got a multitude of guys who can score in the paint, and that's kind of been us all year. I mean, the one real positive is we're starting to shoot the ball a little bit better from three right now. The last four games, we've shot pretty well from three. Obviously, tonight, we turn the ball over at Nauseum, and so we have to be better in that regard tomorrow. That's a little bit uncharacteristic of us. So, we still have some stuff we can clean up." – Enevoldson on winning the battle in the paint.

Up next:
The Cascades and Heat close out their regular season schedules on Saturday with a 6:30pm meeting in Kelowna. The game can also be watched live and on demand at www.canadawest.tv

To keep up with all the action follow the Cascades on social media at @ufvcascades


- with files from UBCO Heat