KELOWNA, B.C. - Fighting off a Thompson Rivers WolfPack surge in the fourth quarter, the UBC Okanagan Heat women's basketball team persevered to a 68-55 win on home court, ensuring the Heat took home the women's Presidents' Cup trophy for a third consecutive season.
Coming off a 36-point win a night prior, the Heat started slow on Saturday but leaned on experience to grow a double-digit lead going into halftime.
Opening the game shooting just 1-of-14, the Heat got to work on the glass. Veterans
Kelsey Falk (Vernon, B.C.) and
Jaeli Ibbetson (Kelowna, B.C.) total 19 rebounds in the first half, including eight offensive boards in the half from Falk.
Falk would finish the night with 14 rebounds, nine on offence, while Ibbetson secured 19 of her own, with 15 on the defensive glass.
Leading by as many as 20 in the third quarter, thanks to buckets from
Sofia Ainsa Lluch (Mahon, Spain), the Heat were able to hold off the WolfPack's charge in the game's final minutes.
TRU's Priyanca Sundher (Surrey, B.C.) would knock down a pair of triples in the fourth quarter, part of her game-high four makes from deep, as her team got as close as seven behind the Heat.
PRESIDENTS' CUP UPDATE
The victory moved the Heat to 4-1 on the season against Thompson Rivers as they win the women's cup for the third straight season. It marks the 11th time UBCO has won the trophy in 21 season of competition dating back to 1993, when the competition began between OUC and UCC.
TOP PERFORMERS
Kelsey Falk - UBCO Heat
UBCO's captain, Falk, would score 11 points and add 14 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. The two-time women's basketball team MVP also dished out three assists and grabbed two steals in the win.
Jaeli Ibbetson - UBCO Heat
Already the conference's leading rebounder, Ibbetson pulled 19 boards off the glass, setting a program record with 15 defensive rebounds. The fourth-year also recorded a career-high eight assists in the match.
WHERE THEY SIT
The win, UBCO's fifth straight over TRU, pulls them back to 7-7 this season jumping ahead of Mount Royal into ninth in Canada West. Thompson Rivers' losing streak hits eight straight as they fall to 2-10.
UP NEXT
The Heat's homestand continues as they host the UBC Thunderbirds next weekend for a weekend doubleheader. Tipoff in the first game on Friday, January 26 is schedule for 5 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on CBC Gem and CBCSports.ca, as well as CanadaWest.tv, and tickets for the game are available at the door.
