by PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — The UBCO Heat women’s basketball team (2-0) cruised to an 88-48 victory over the UNBC Timberwolves (0-1) on Sunday at Brownridge Court, highlighted by a strong defensive effort that resulted in 26 points off turnovers.
Tsuki Tsuzuki had 15 points, converting three of four from beyond the arc, and collected two steals. Kanani Coon posted an impressive 17 points and distributed eight assists, while also grabbing five rebounds. Stefanie Hart finished with nine points, efficiently making seven of eight free throws. Lily Pink contributed 10 points, hitting two of her three-point attempts and providing three assists.
Viktoriia Filatova led UNBC with 13 points, converting 6-of-6 from the free-throw line and adding three rebounds. Hazel Phillips contributed eight points and four defensive rebounds, while Lorenn Caceres also scored eight points, shooting 3-for-5 from the field and blocking one shot.
The game commenced with the Heat establishing dominance early, as Coon scored the initial points with a jumper assisted by Aiko Williams just 20 seconds into the quarter. UBCO maintained relentless pressure, extending their lead to 15-0 by the midway point, thanks to a successful layup plus the and-one converstion from Coon.
Despite UNBC’s attempts to respond, they were held scoreless from the field throughout the quarter, managing only five points from free throws. Tsuzuki and Kiana Kaczur drained 3-pointers late in the quarter, further increasing UBCO’s advantage. The first quarter concluded with UBCO leading 27-5.
The Heat extended their lead in the second quarter with a strong offensive performance. Lily Pink’s 3-pointer at 7:43 marked the beginning of a decisive scoring surge, supported by Stefanie Hart’s reliable free-throw shooting and Sydney Lewis’s defensive efforts, including a key block. UBCO maintained pressure and capitalized on turnovers, with Tsuzuki contributing both with a steal and an assist. The quarter concluded with UBCO leading 46-16.
UBCO maintained a strong lead throughout the third quarter, with Tsuzuki opening a scoring run by sinking a three-pointer at 9:25, assisted by Pink. Williams and Tsuzuki continued the momentum with additional 3-pointers, establishing a 39-point lead by the midway point of the frame. Despite a brief scoring response from UNBC, UBCO’s consistent performance saw them leading 67-38 after 30 minutes.
The Heat would empty the bench in the final frame as head coach Bobby Mitchell spread the minutes around, including for rookies Nevena Nogic and Saige Parfitt, as the Heat cruise to the 40-point victory.
