Box Score KAMLOOPS, B.C. - The third-year pair of Kelsey Falk and Jaeli Ibbetson demonstrated strong play on both ends of the court to help the UBC Okanagan Heat women's basketball team win their first game of the season 87-68 over the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack on Saturday at the Tournament Capital Centre.
Ibbetson found herself all over the scoresheet in the winning effort as the forward racked up 13 points, 12 rebounds along with two blocks and three steals. The local Kelowna, B.C., product has made seven threes in two games, after making the same amount during the entirety of her rookie campaign in 2019-20.
Kelsey Falk, of Vernon, B.C., put up 16 points, adding 10 boards for her second-straight double-double to open the year. She also racked up four steals and a pair of blocks in the win.
The Wolfpack, with a revamped roster that includes 11 new players, got strong performances from Elana Sireni of Surrey, B.C., and Maggie Fehr of Victoria, B.C. The pair both came off the bench for TRU and each had a team-high 12 points.
TRU, at times, were overwhelmed by UBCO's full-court press, a strategy the Heat have leaned heavily on this season. The Heat's strong defensive play lead to 15 steals as they held the hosts to 68 points.
UBCO put up an impressive five blocks in the first half, tying a program record set in 2015 for blocks in a half. Their six in a game is the most since 2016.
The battle on the glass was won 59-38 by the Heat, having the upper hand on both sides of the floor.
Early into their careers with the Heat, Abby Smith and Suprise Munie played their best games in UBCO uniforms. Winnipeg's Smith dominated the paint with 12 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes, while Munie, of Vancouver, had a game-high 21 points, adding five assists and five boards.
Munie has risen to the occasion as UBCO's primary ball-handler this season and is averaging 17 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists through her first two games in Canada West.
Heat head coach Bobby Mitchell was impressed with his team's first win of the season saying, "It's really fun watching the group grow and start to find their identity over the past couple weeks. We will continue to focus on getting better but we have lots to build on from here."
The victory also pushes the Heat into the lead for the women's President's Cup competition against Thompson Rivers. UBCO now leads the season series with a 1-0-2 record.
Next on tap for the Heat (1-1) is a road trip to Victoria as they take on the Victoria Vikes (1-1) on Friday, November 5th and Saturday, November 6th. Both games can be seen live on CanadaWest.tv presented by Co-op.
