The University of the Fraser Valley basketball teams took divergent paths on home-opening weekend against the Victoria Vikes.
The Cascades women, ranked No. 2 in the nation, broke out the brooms against UVic, winning 63-49 on Friday and 62-52 on Saturday to improve to 4-0 on the season.
The No. 4-ranked men, meanwhile, were on the wrong end of a sweep, as the Vikes beat them by scores of 73-69 and 78-72.
“Good weekend, to win two games against a quality team like Victoria,” UFV women’s coach Al Tuchscherer stated in a press release. “A lot of valuable lessons to take away from the challenges they presented.”
Both nights, the Vikes hung with the Cascades women for the first half, only to watch UFV pull away after the break.
On Friday, point guard Aieisha Luyken set the pace with 17 points, six assists and five rebounds. On Saturday it was the Wierks sisters, Sarah and Nicole, tying for team-high scoring honours with 14 points apiece.
The UFV men (2-2) engaged in a back-and-forth battle on Friday, with the Vikes pulling ahead for good in the fourth quarter. Kyle Grewal led the Cascades with 23 points and eight rebounds, while Kevon Parchment scored 20.
On Saturday, the Vikes raced out to a huge 42-23 advantage at halftime. The Cascades clawed their way back after the break, getting to within four points in the final minute of regulation, but UVic hit their free throws down the stretch. Parchment posted 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Grewal chipped in with 21 points.
“We played great in the second half,” UFV coach Adam Friesen noted. “Our offense came alive and we hit key baskets to get back into the game.”
• The Cascades hoopsters hit the road this weekend to face the UBC Thunderbirds.
