Abbotsford – WBB: Cascades claim Canada West bronze medal with win over Victoria and book their spot at U SPORTS Nationals for the first time since 2014.
After a tough defeat to the Saskatchewan Huskies in Saturday’s semifinal, the host University of the Fraser Valley Cascades bounced back to claim the bronze medal in the 2024 Canada West Women’s Basketball Tournament with a 62-41 victory over the University of Victoria Vikes.
After Victoria’s Tana Pankratz scored the first bucket of the game 2:19 into the opening quarter, the Cascades defence took over the game – holding the Vikes without a field goal for the next 18 minutes and 22 seconds of game time – as they cruised to the Canada West bronze medal and a berth in the 2024 USPORTS National Tournament.
“I think the bronze medal game is just about competing and who wants it more,” explained UFV’s Maddy Gobeil. “It was about coming out and giving everything that you have left in the tank, and I think our team really locked into that mindset today.”
After a slow start that saw both teams combine for just four points in the first five minutes, UFV’s first team-all star, Gobeil led the way – scoring 11 first quarter points, as her team went on a 14-2 run in the late part of the quarter.
UFV led 39-13 after two quarters, and their defence continued to turn up the pressure holding the Vikes to just 1 of 22 from the field in the from the first half.
Gobeil’s 13 points led all scorers at the break, while UFV’s Fania Taylor had nine, and Victoria’s Tana Pankratz led her team with six.
UFV continued to pour it on in the second half, starting on an 8-0 run, until Tegan Mackinnon hit the Vikes second field goal of the game, a three-pointer, at the 4:41 mark of the third quarter. The shot energized the Victoria offence, as shots from Abigail Becker and Pankratz fell in quick succession. UVIC scored 13 points in the third, doubling their tally from the first half.
Victoria added 15 more in the fourth, but it was too little too late, and the Cascades cruised to the comfortable 62-41 victory.
Pankratz noted after the game that the team’s shooting struggles compounded in the first half for Victoria.
“I feel like we weren’t playing like ourselves in the first half. We weren’t pushing the ball, we were hesitant on a lot of shots because we knew they weren’t falling. We didn’t shoot well in the first half – but we turned it around and I felt like defensively we brought a lot of intensity.”
Gobeil finished the game with 26 points, five assists, and five rebounds to lead UFV, while Pankratz scored 19 points and added nine rebounds.
Victoria finished the game scoring 11 for 56 from the field, while UFV scored at a 41.9% clip.
With Victoria’s season now likely coming to an end, Pankratz noted there is a lot to build on for the young group.
“We have a similar squad next year. We have a lot of young rookies and a lot of talent. This is the first time we’ve made it to the final four in nine years I think, so it’s so exciting and I know we’re ready to just get after it. I think we have set a new standard for ourselves next year and the years to come.”
The win secure the Cascades a berth in the national championship tournament for the first time since 2014, and UFV Head Coach Al Tuchscherer explained that this program has been building towards just that for a long time.
“This group – starting in 2019 with Maddy [Gobeil], Nikki [Cabuco], and Deanna [Tuchscherer] coming in – had the expectation that we would get back to this moment. They have put in a tremendous amount of work and have had some tough luck along the way. Just to see them accomplish that is really rewarding to me.”
The Cascades now get set for the 2024 U SPORTS Championship presented by the Westin Edmonton. The Alberta Pandas-hosted event will take place March 7-10 at the Saville Community Sport Centre in Edmonton, AB.
