KAMLOOPS, B.C. — The UBCO Heat pulled away from the Thompson Rivers WolfPack for a 57-41 win on Sunday at the Tournament Capital Centre, holding the hosts to 23.3 per cent shooting and winning the battle on the glass 57-49.
UBCO's
Kanani Coon led all scorers with 18 points, including a pair of third-quarter three-pointers.
Sydney Lewis posted a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while
Lily Pink filled the stat sheet with six points, nine rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Off the bench,
Stef Hart chipped in seven points and eight boards.
Morgan Eichenberger anchored the WolfPack with a 15-point, 20-rebound double-double, while Hailey Merrigan added 14 points, 14 boards, and four steals.
After falling behind 2-0, the Heat answered with baskets from
Temi Aina and Coon to take a 4-2 lead. The WolfPack briefly went back in front, but Hart responded with a jumper off a pass from Pink, and late layups from
Temi Aina and Lewis gave the Heat a 10-7 edge after one.
Behind buckets from Lewis and Coon, the Heat built a 22-13 lead late in the second quarter, but the WolfPack answered with a 7-0 run to pull within two.
Ava Heppner stopped TRU's momentum with a three-pointer off an assist from
Kiana Kaczur right as the quarter closed out, sending UBCO into halftime up 25-20.
Temi Aina opened the second half by turning a steal into a fast-break layup, sparking an 18-10 quarter for the Heat. Coon knocked down both of her three-pointers in the frame, the second off a Lewis feed to make it 41-26, and Lewis then capped the third with a layup for a 43-30 lead.
The Heat's defence closed it out in the fourth, forcing four turnovers and holding the WolfPack to 3-of-14 shooting from the field. Lewis opened the quarter with a steal and layup before setting up Hart's three-pointer to make it 48-30, and Pink later knocked down a three and found Coon for a layup as the lead grew to as many as 19.
Finishing the weekend with a 2-0 record, the Heat return home to host the UBC Thunderbirds at UBCO Gymnasium on Friday, Nov. 6, at 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at GoHeat.ca/Tickets.
