KELOWNA, B.C. - The UBCO Heat women's basketball team (10-10) narrowly fell to the UFV Cascades (9-11), 66-65 at the UBCO Gymnasium on Graduating Seniors night on Saturday.

The Heat, who were leading for much of the contest, saw the win slip away at the end after the Cascades were awarded two late free throws, which they converted, in the dying seconds.

Lily Pink led UBCO with 16 points, including a 3-pointer, and collected seven rebounds. Kanani Coon also netted 16 points, hitting three 3-pointers, and added six rebounds. Sydney Lewis contributed 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting, grabbed nine rebounds, and made three steals. In her final regular season game with the Heat, Aiko Williams added seven points with two 3-pointers and recorded two steals.

For UFV, Julia Tuchscherer led with 27 points, shooting 10-for-16 from the field, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, and added nine rebounds. Miah Schuurman contributed 20 points, converting all 10 of her free throw attempts, including two in the final seconds of the game to secure the win.

UBCO took control early, leveraging a strong defensive performance to outscore UFV 18-9 in the first quarter. The Heat capitalized on turnovers, converting five points off UFV's five giveaways, while dominating the paint with ten points.

In the second quarter, UBCO capitalized on points off turnovers, scoring six from UFV's four giveaways, which helped maintain their edge in the paint with ten points. Despite UFV's three successful 3-pointers, UBCO's strong rebounding effort, particularly on the offensive end with four boards, kept the quarter competitive. At halftime, UBCO led the Cascades 33-26.

UBCO maintained a narrow edge over UFV in the third quarter, outscoring the visitors 24-23. They capitalized on perimeter shooting, sinking five 3-pointers, while amassing eight assists. UFV countered with strong free-throw shooting, converting 15 of 18 attempts, but UBCO's balanced offensive effort, including a pivotal 3-pointer by Coon late in the frame, sustained their lead. At the end of the quarter, UBCO led 57-49.

UFV mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter, outscoring UBCO 17-8 to erase an eight-point deficit. UBCO struggled with shooting while committing six turnovers, which UFV capitalized on with 10 points in the paint. Despite UBCO's defensive efforts, including a block by Tsuki Tsuzuki, the Cascades efficiency from the free-throw line, hitting five of six, proved pivotal. At the final buzzer, UFV edged ahead, securing a 66-65 victory.

Despite the loss, UBCO secured the third seed in the Pacific division thanks to their 10-10 record. As a result, the Heat will be seeded fifth in Canada West entering the playoffs.

UBCO will now head to Regina to take on the 12th-seeded Brandon Bobcats (7-13) in the conference play-in round. The game is set for 12 p.m. Pacific on Friday, February 13. The winner advances to the Canada West quarter-finals to face the Cougars (17-3), the fourth seed in the conference, on Saturday, February 14 at 4 p.m. Pacific.

Game Notes:
- The Heat's 10 regular season wins tie them for the second-most in program history.
- UBCO has now won 10 or more games in three of their last four seasons.