KAMLOOPS – One night after picking up their first win of the season, the Thompson Rivers WolfPack women's basketball team was unable to match the offensive outburst of the UBC Okanagan Heat in an 89-51 loss inside the Tournament Capital Centre.
 
The WolfPack hung around early but a massive Heat run on either side of the first quarter break left no doubt as to who would walk away victorious on the night. The Heat's efficient offence powered them to victory as they knocked down 42 per cent of their shots as a team, while the WolfPack strolled to score points in the first three quarters of the match.
 
Kyla Smith was a standout for the WolfPack. The second-year guard from Abbotsford had 13 of the WolfPack's 20 points at the half and finished the night with 17 despite TRU going to their bench for much of the final frame.
 
For the Heat Jaeli Ibbetson was everywhere. The product of Kelowna finished the night with 23 points and 15 rebounds while going 12-16 from the charity stripe. Surprise Munie added 16 points and Kasey Patchell came off the bench to record 12 points in her 11 minutes of action.
 
With the win the Heat women clinched the Presidents' Cup for UBCO. An annual competition between the two rival schools that tallies results from their head-to-head matches in soccer, basketball and volleyball, the Presidents' Cup will go to the UBCO women for the first time since 2017. The Heat hold a 4-1-2 advantage with just two volleyball games left to go between the schools.
 
The win moves the Heat to 4-4 on the season where they sit firmly in fourth place in the West Division. The WolfPack meanwhile, drop to 1-7 with the loss.
 
A slow start to the game saw the WolfPack hold a 6-3 lead halfway through the opening quarter before the Heat ripped off a run that would decide the contest.
 
From the 4:22 mark of the first quarter to 7:16 of the second, the Heat went on a 23-3 run that saw seven different players score and the team shoot 8-16 from the floor.
 
With a 26-9 lead, the Heat were able to put the game to rest from there and rolled the rest of the way to the victory.
 
The Heat will now enter their winter break with their next Canada West action coming on January 13. For the WolfPack there is one game left in the first semester when they host the Fraser Valley Cascades inside the TCC on Thursday, December 2.