UBCO Athletics
Emily Kanester of Vernon needs 21 points to become the UBC Okanagan Heat women’s basketball team career leader in points at 900.
A fifth-year guard, Kanester finished last season with 31 three-pointers and 43 steals. Much attention early on will be paid to Kanester’s point total as the Heat open the college season at home tonight against the Trinity Western Spartans at 6 p.m.
Kanester has totaled 879 points in her four seasons and hopes to pass Roz Huber (899 points) as the Heat women’s all-time leading scorer.
The same two teams meet again Saturday at 5 p.m. at the UBC Okanagan gymnasium.
The Heat had an inconsistent scoring rate last season as they averaged 56.9 points per game, putting them at the end of the pack in scoring. But with two fifth years in Kanester and Chloe Kennedy, who have seemed to found their scoring touch in the exhibition part of the schedule, and the addition of Nicole Hart, a 6-foot-2 freshman post with a scoring touch, and that scoring average will be sure to improve in 2016/17.
The Heat finished their previous season with their best record to date since entering Canada West in 2011. With 10 wins and 10 losses, the Heat were able to claim fourth place in the Explorers Division.
With the two-year trial of the Explorer and Pioneer Division completed, their is now a revamped the schedule and format for Canada West.
The new scheduled is highlighted with feature matches against four geographical, or historical opponents every year, for UBCO those teams are: TRU, UBC, Fraser Valley, and Victoria. The remaining 12 games will be against six of the remaining 12 opponents every other year. With 12 of the 17 teams making it to the post season, the competition will be tough right out the gate.
