LANGLEY, B.C. - The UBC Okanagan Heat women's basketball team secured a decisive victory over the Trinity Western Spartans on Thursday night with a final score of 78-50 at the Langley Events Centre. This victory marked the largest win of the year for the Heat, with every player dressed scoring.

Tsuki Tsuzuki stood out on the night for UBCO with 12 points, while also contributing seven assists and four steals, showcasing her all-around impact on the game. Lily Pink was another key contributor, scoring a team-high 15 points, including three successful three-pointers, and securing eight rebounds. Notably, Pink scored 12 of her 15 points in the opening half.

Tennyson McCarthy dominated the boards with a career-high 10 rebounds, alongside seven points and two steals while Kelsey Falk was effective defensively with two blocks, and she added 12 points to the scoreboard.

Colette Van der Hoven led the Spartans in scoring with 13 points, shooting 62.5 percent from the field, including a perfect three-point shooting performance.

In the first quarter, the Heat women's team established an early lead, starting with Abby Smith opening the scoring a minute in. Tsuki Tsuzuki contributed to the offensive drive with a layup at 6:30, following a steal from Lauren Foullong. Pink and McCarthy strengthened the lead with multiple rebounds and successful layups, culminating in a score of 28-15 in favor of the Heat by the end of the quarter. The strong first quarter was a result of a solid press maintained throughout the game, setting the tone for the Heat's dominance.

The second quarter saw UBCO outscore the Spartans 18-5, highlighted by strong defensive efforts and effective scoring. UBCO's Tsuzuki had notable contributions, scoring a layup at 8:12 and later capitalizing on a fast-break opportunity with another layup at 1:59. Falk contributed with a jumper and two successful free throws, while  Pink hit two three-pointers to extend the lead. UBCO's defence was pivotal, forcing multiple turnovers and limiting the Spartans to just one field goal in the quarter. By halftime, the score was a commanding 46-20.

In the third quarter, Tsuzuki continued her strong game with a layup early on, bringing the score to 48-23. Kiana Kaczur was consistent from the free-throw line, making two consecutive free throws at the 5:30 mark to extend the lead to 50-30. Aiko Williams hit a crucial three-pointer assisted by Tsuzuki to further push the score to 60-41, maintaining a strong performance for the team.

The fourth quarter saw UBCO secure their win with a strong offensive performance. Tsuzuki opened the scoring with a layup, and  Kaczur contributed significantly with both a layup and a three-pointer, the latter at 3:30, extending the lead to 74-46. Lily Pink added a three-pointer at the 2:15 mark. Defensively, Falk recorded a steal, and the team capitalized on multiple turnovers by the Spartans, with McCarthy's defensive rebound helping maintain control. UBCO's efficient scoring and strategic plays in this quarter underscored their dominance.

With the win, the Heat move into the fifth and final playoff spot in the Canada West Pacific division as they now sit with a 4-9 record. Meanwhile, the Spartans suffer just their second loss in their last eight game, dropping to 8-6 on the season.

The Heat will wrap up their season-long four-game road trip on Saturday afternoon when they take on the Victoria Vikes in Victoria. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. and fans can catch the action live on CanadaWest.tv presented by BioSteel.