The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women's basketball team are making their first Canada West playoff appearance since 2015-16 as they visit the University of Fraser Valley Cascades in a one game 'play in' contest.
The teams will go head to head at the Envision Financial Athletic Centre on Friday night (Feb 14). Tip off is 6 pm PDT.
The Cascades finished with a 16-4 record and were 8-1 at home (that loss coming January 3
rd when they fell 76-73 to UBC). Fraser Valley enters the post season as the hottest team in Canada West. They are 11-1 in their last 12 outings.
Thompson Rivers was 12
th in league play at 7-13. They have lost six straight and were 3-7 away from the Tournament Capital Centre this season.
The Cascades are led by Taylor Claggett. The 5
th year forward from Mission, BC was the top rebounder in Canada West this year (10.4), second in overall scoring (391) and in points per game (19.6).
HISTORY
This will be the fifth meeting of the season between the teams. The two played a pair of exhibition games in Abbotsford on October 18-19, 2019. The Cascades won the opening night 56-53 and the second game 85-46.
They then met two weeks ago (Jan 31-Feb1) in the final two home games of the year for the 'Pack. UFV won the opening night 75-50. Fraser Valley outscored TRU 16-8 in the second period and held a 30-22 advantage going into the break. They were led offensively by Nikki Cabuco (1
st year guard, Port Moody, BC) with 16 points. Claggett had 12 points and 10 boards for the Cascades who got 10 points from first year forward Deanna Tuchscherer (Chilliwack, BC).
Jordan Robb (1
st year, forward, Kelowna, BC) had 11 points for Thompson Rivers while
Emma Piggin (5
th year, guard, Kamloops, BC) added 10 points and eight rebounds.
On the Saturday, (Feb 1) the score was 91-76 in favor of the Cascades. Claggett was held off the scoresheet in the first half but wound up scoring 19 points in the second half and led her team in scoring along with rookie Cabuco .
Other players in double figures for Fraser Valley that night were Kamloops native Maddy Gobiel (1
st year, guard) and her roommate Tuchscherer with 14 points. Amanda Thompson (4
th year, guard, Abbotsford, BC) had 11.
Thompson Rivers was led by
Piggin with 19 points.
Leilani Carney (5
th year, guard, Burnaby, BC) had 16 points.
Jordin Wilkinson (4
th year, forward, North Battleford, SK) had 17 points while
Jordon Haggerty (3
rd year, guard, Saskatoon, SK) also had 16 points.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Thompson Rivers:
Leilani Carney: led in minutes played (33.6) and points per game (12). She holds the all-time TRU record for best assist/turnover ratio (1.4), is second all time free throw percentage (115-143 80.4)and three point field goals (141 in 100 games).
Emma Piggin : led in rebounding (6.3), Second in scoring (11.6 points per game), minutes played (29.6) and second in blocks (0.4). She is third all time in rebounds (582 in 100 games), third in blocks (58) and fifth in highest rebounds per game (5.8).
Jordon Haggerty: led the team in steals (1.5), second in rebounding (4.2) third in scoring (10.6), fifth in minutes played (22.1). third in team history in most free throws (215), free throw percentage (215-279 77.1) and best assist to turnover ratio (1.1).
Megan Rouault (3
rd year, guard, Vernon, BC): led the team in blocks (0.5), second on team in rebounds (4.2) and steals (1.4), fifth in scoring (8.7)
Jordin Wilkinson: third on the team in minues (27.6), fourth on the team in scoring (8.7) and rebounds (4.1)
FRASER VALLEY:
Deanna Tuchscherer : first in blocks (0.3), second in minutes played (39.8), scoring (15.4 points) and rebounds (6.2) per game.
Taylor Claggett: led UFV in scoring (19.6 points), minutes played (34.9) and rebounding (10.4 peer game) and was second in steals (1.4)
Maddy Gobeil : third on UFV in minutes (26.1) points per game (8.8), second in blocks (0.2) and third in steals (1.3 per game)
Nikki Cabuco: first year player coming off the bench. Averaging six points per game, led the team in steals (1.9) .
The game this weekend will be webcast on a pay-per-view basis on Canada West TV presented by Co-op by accessing:
https://cw.yaretv.com/.
COMMENTS OF WOLFPACK COACH GORAN NOGIC (1ST SEASON):
https://twitter.com/GoTRUWolfPack/status/1227769455196827648
COMMENTS OF WOLFPACK GUARD MEGAN ROUAULT (3rd year, Vernon, BC):
https://twitter.com/GoTRUWolfPack/status/1227769366625697792
