KELOWNA, B.C. — The U SPORTS No. 8-ranked UBCO Heat had the lead at halftime but eventually fell 76-55 to the No. 10-ranked UBC Thunderbirds on Friday at the UBCO Gymnasium. The visitors turned 25 Heat turnovers into 29 points.
Kanani Coon led the Heat with 11 points, eight rebounds, and four steals, while
Ava Heppner added 10 points on a career-high three made three-pointers.
Sydney Lewis posted a Player of the Game performance scoring eight points, seven rebounds, and two blocks, while
Lily Pink chipped in seven points, seven boards, and five assists.
After falling behind 9-4 early on, the Heat answered with three straight three-pointers from
Stef Hart, Pink, and Heppner, the last of which gave them a 13-12 lead. The Thunderbirds went back in front 18-13, but Heppner connected from deep yet again and Hart's jumper with seven seconds left tied it 18-18 after one.
Coon's shot from behind the arc midway through the second quarter gave the Heat a 25-23 advantage. Once the Thunderbirds tied it at 27, Pink scored on a pair of layups and
Kiana Kaczur added another in the final minute to send the Heat into the break up by three.
With 7:21 left in the third, Coon's second go-ahead three of the night put the Heat up 38-36, but the Thunderbirds ended up taking control of the momentum and the game from there. The Heat managed only two more field goals in the quarter, which were three-pointers from Heppner and Hart. Seven turnovers from UBCO helped the visitors carry a 50-44 lead into the fourth.
A fourth-quarter push stretched the Thunderbird lead to 74-48 with 2:37 left, holding the Heat to just 2-for-12 shooting in the frame. Heppner,
Kristen Francks, and
Saige Parfitt sparked a late 7-0 Heat run, with Francks and Parfitt each connecting from deep, but a late UBC layup closed out the 76-55 result.
Up next, UBCO hosts the UFV Cascades on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at 4 p.m. in the UBCO Gymnasium. Tickets can be purchased at
GoHeat.ca/Tickets.
Game Notes
- Pink has grabbed seven plus rebounds in three consecutive games
- Heppner scored a career-high three made three-pointers in a single game
