Home court didn’t prove to be an advantage during the UFV Cascades men’s basketball team’s two-game set against the Trinity Western University Spartans on Friday and Saturday.
The Cascades fell 90-82 in overtime on home court on Friday, but then bounced back to defeat the Spartans 93-79 in Langley on Saturday.
Friday’s game saw UFV battle back from a disastrous second quarter to take over in the second half. The Cascades were up 78-72 with just under two minutes to go in regulation, but the Spartans went on a 6-0 run to send the game into overtime. UFV’s Nav Bains had an opportunity to score the game’s winning basket on a perfectly designed final play, but it rimmed out.
TWU then dominated in overtime to earn the win. Cascades head coach Adam Friesen gave the visitors their due.
“They out-competed us and they deserved to win,” he said. “We didn’t battle hard enough on the boards, and we didn’t do nearly as well as they did on the hustle plays.”
Friesen said he liked his team’s play in the third quarter, and said his team needs to stop rushing offensively and avoid turning the ball over.
UFV’s Mark Johnson was a bright spot for the team, as he collected 28 points and 13 rebounds. It was one year to the day that he went down with an ACL injury that nearly cost him the entire 2015-16 season.
Friday was also the Canada West debut for Yale Secondary grad Riley Braich. The rookie picked up one assist and one rebound in three minutes of action.
“He’s fitting in well,” Friesen said of Braich. “Like any freshman, he’s getting accustomed to the level of play, but he’s showing a lot of good things in practice. His time will come.”
Saturday’s game was a much better effort for the men, with six players scoring in double figures. Guard Manny Dulay had a great all-around game, with 18 points, seven rebounds and six steals. Braich scored for the first time, nailing a three-pointer.
UFV shot 48 per cent from the three-point line in the win, and scored an impressive 51 points in the second half to earn the victory.
The men’s record is now two wins and two losses early into the Canada West regular season.
The weekend played out the opposite way for the women, with Cascades winning in Abbotsford, and the Spartans succeeding in Langley.
Friday’s game saw the Cascades take over in the fourth quarter to win 60-47. UFV outscored TWU 19-7 in the final frame to pace the victory.
UFV’s Kayli Sartori led the way with 23 points, nine rebounds and five steals, while sophomore Taylor Claggett added 14 points and six rebounds. The Cascades shot an impressive 44 per cent from the field.
The Spartans started Saturday’s game red-hot, building a 24-10 lead after one quarter to cruise to a 65-51 win.
UFV shot just 27 per cent in the loss, but Claggett led the way with a solid performance of 17 points, six rebounds and four blocks. Sartori struggled from the field, making just two of 12 shots, but added seven rebounds and four blocks.
The women’s record sits at two wins and one loss this season.
Both teams are off this weekend, but return to action for a two-game home set against the UNBC Timberwolves. Friday’s games tip off at 6 p.m. for the women, and 8 p.m. for the men, while Saturday’s games start at 5 and 7 p.m.
