The UBC Okanagan women’s basketball team will continue its preparations for the new Canada West season this weekend in Calgary.
The Heat will compete in the Calgary Cup from Thursday through Saturday, with games against the Calgary Dinos, Mt. Royal Cougars and St. Mary’s University.
UBCO is coming off a pair of preseason wins over the Vancouver Island Mariners.
On Friday, at Immaculata, the Heat handled VIU 72-47.
With a smattering of new players on the roster, Claire Meadows’ Heat took control of th egame with a 19-0 run at the end of the first quarter and didn’t look back.
A balanced UBC Okanagan scoring attack was led by fifth year Chloe Kennedy, the only UBCO player to reach double digits with 12 points, while adding four rebounds.
Former Mustang Nicole Hart led UBCO with six rebounds on a familiar court and added eight points.
Another freshman, Emma Jonas, also scored her first points in Heat gear, finishing with seven.
The other Immaculata grads playing on their high school court, Emma Johnson and Olivia Johnson finished with seven and two points respectively.
On Saturday at UBCO, a similar result saw UBCO take down the Mariners 75-48.
Hart upped her game and led the Heat with 20 points, including 14 in the first half.
Fifth-year guard Emily Kanester was the only other to reach double digits. Kanester finished with 11.
Vanessa Botteselle scored nine and Chloe Kennedy finished with eight.
Heat men
Like the Heat women, the UBCO men kickstarted their exhibition season with a victory at Immaculata Friday, 82-53 over the VIU Mariners.
Senior Mitch Goodwin led the Heat with with 28 points, while shooting an impressive 62 percent (10/16) from the field and 55 (5/9) percent from beyond the arc.
Aldrich Barrios had 16 points, while Spencer Thomas and Noma Obaseki scored eight points each.
The UBCO men will return to action Oct. 14 to 16 when they host the Heat Classic tournament at the Kelowna campus gym.
