Two weekend road wins have the University of the Fraser Valley men’s basketball team breathing easier in their quest for a playoff berth.
The Cascades downed the University of Regina Cougars 86-73 on Friday, then trounced the University of Brandon Bobcats 85-75 on Saturday.
A fast start carried UFV past the Cougars.
UFV led by nine after one quarter and 15 at a the half. They clamped down defensively in the second half, limiting Regina to 45 points.
The Cascades were led by Surrey’s Kyle Grewal and Coquitlam’s Sam Freeman, each with 23 points. Abbotsford’s Sheldon Bjorgaard added 12 points.
Grewal was a force on the boards, pulling down a team-high 10 rebounds. James York (Bellingham, WA) snagged six rebounds and added six steals in 28 solid minutes.
“James (York) had one of his best games as a Cascade, and really led the team as a point guard on both sides of the ball,” said UFV head coach Barnaby Craddock. “Kyle (Grewal) is also stringing together a group of solid performances of late. He led us with his ability to score in the low post this evening.”
Grewal was a force again on Saturday night, draining 21 points to lead his Cascades past the Bobcats.
UFV trailed by three points through three quarters, but out-scored Brandon by 13 points in the fourth quarter to get the win.
“I was impressed with our team’s resilient play this evening. Coach Cheung is doing a fantastic job with Brandon, and they played unbelievably hard, getting the better of us at many opportunities,” Craddock said. “It was nice to see our players maintain their composure during the multiple runs Brandon made on us.”
Freeman had another good game offensively with 18 points. Abbotsford’s Jasper Moedt chipped in with 15 points and a team high 15 rebounds.
At 9-5, UFV sits third in the Canada West standings. UBC is first and U-Vic second.
The Cascades host the Trinity Western Spartans Saturday night (7 p.m.) at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre.
