—The season is over for the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women's basketball team. The Pack  lost in a Canada West 'play in' game Friday night (Feb 14) to the host University of Fraser Valley Cascades.

The score was 76-54.  The Cascades went into the contest ranked fifth while the WolfPack were 12^th.
"Thompson Rivers, full credit to them," Cascades head coach Al Tuchscherer said afterward. "Whenever we looked like we were about to pull away, that just fueled them. They'd get a little tougher, a little grittier, and they made us earn the W here tonight.

"It wasn't the cleanest game from us, for sure. Our turnovers were up, and I didn't think our decision-making in the half-court was fantastic. It might have been nerves, but I don't know. You've got to learn to play through that. Whenever Thompson Rivers did make a push, we responded, so that was a really good sign for us."

The offence was slow to materialize for both teams in the first quarter, which ended with UFV up 18-11. The Cascades were able to find more traction in the second, pushing the lead to double digits, and rookie point guard Nikki Cabuco's incredible three-pointer from the halfcourt logo as time expired gave her team a 40-24 lead heading into halftime. TRU senior Leilani Carney carried her team in the first half, pouring in 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field.

UFV scored five straight points to open the third quarter – highlighted by a pair of Amanda Thompson buckets – to push the lead to 21, but the WolfPack hung tough behind eight points from Jordon Haggerty in the frame and got back to within 12.

In the fourth, the Cascades led 58-40 after a pair of Victoria Jacobse free throws, only to watch TRU reel off 11 straight points – including a pair of triples from Emma Piggin and one from Brooklyn Golt – to cut the deficit to 58-51 with six-plus minutes left in regulation.

UFV found an answer, though, as treys from Cabuco and Maddy Gobeil in quick succession got the lead back to 13, and they stepped on the gas from there. The WolfPack went nearly six minutes without a point, before Piggin hit a free throw and a late jumper in the final 30 seconds with the outcome already decided.

Said WolfPack head coach Goran Nogic, "First of all, we played a really great team with a great coaching staff. We didn't open the game well. I expected the pressure would be more on the side of Fraser Valley, but we started the game by missing five or six easy layups. You cannot do that . . . you're fighting the whole time and expending energy (to get back into it). The moments we managed to bring the game (close), we didn't have any more (energy)."

Rookie forward Deanna Tuchscherer poured in a game-high 20 points for the Cascades, and four of her teammates – Thompson, Gobeil, Cabuco and Taylor Claggett – finishing with 10 points apiece. UFV struggled with turnovers, surrendering 22 as the WolfPack pressed throughout the second half, but they shot 50 per cent from the field while limiting TRU to 33.8 per cent.
WolfPack seniors Carney and Piggin performed valiantly in what proved to be the final game of their university careers, tying for team-high honours with 17 points each. Haggerty scored 15 points and added five assists.
(With Assistance from Fraser Valley Sports Information)