Dan Kinvig, UFV Athletics
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades caught fire after halftime, en route to a 106-75 triumph over the Trinity Western Spartans on Friday at the Envision Financial Athletic Centre.
The Spartans, in search of their first win of the season, got off to a strong start, racing out to an 8-1 lead on their way to a 27-21 edge at the end of the first quarter. But the Cascades regrouped and claimed a 46-43 lead at the break, then dominated third quarter, outscoring the visitors 33-14 to kick-start the blowout.
The Cascades' season-high offensive output was a collective effort, as six players scored in double figures. Daniel Adediran and Parm Bains came off the bench to tie for team-high scoring honours with 16 points apiece, and Mark Johnson (15), Sukhjot Bains (15), Andrew Morris (14) and Vick Toor (12) also chipped in.
Ethan DaSilva and Vartan Tanielian paced TWU with 18 points apiece, with Isaiah Reimer (14) and Josiah Allison (13) also hitting double digits.
The Cascades (12-7) and Spartans (0-19) wrap up the Canada West regular season on Saturday at the Langley Events Centre (7 p.m., CanadaWest.tv).
"We set a really bad tone defensively in the first quarter, and put ourselves in a tough spot," UFV head coach Adam Friesen said afterward. "Trinity really made us pay for our lackluster energy.
"But the energy level we played with in the second half, and the physicality we rebounded and defended with were the keys to our spurt."
The Spartans started with a flourish, and DaSilva was front and centre, scoring six of TWU's first eight points.
The Cascades found some traction in the second quarter, as Johnson hit triples on three consecutive possessions and Sukhjot Bains followed with a trey of his own to cap a 12-0 run to give the hosts a 37-32 lead.
A close game at the half quickly devolved into a blowout, as UFV ended the third quarter on an 18-2 run, sparked by dynamic drives from Adediran and Sukhjot Bains, and Parm Bains draining a pair of threes.
The lead was at 79-57 heading to the final frame, and it was more of the same from there as the Cascades extended the lead beyond the 30-point threshold.
"UFV started driving the basketball, and we're just not good enough defensively to keep the ball in front," Spartans head coach Aaron Muhic said. "They just had a really good third quarter. At the end of the day, if you shoot 72 per cent in a quarter, it's going to be hard."
It was senior night for UFV's graduating fifth-years Morris, Johnson and Navjot Bains, and Cascades coach Friesen felt that the gravity of the occasion may have initially contributed to UFV's uneven start.
"When you have three seniors who mean so much to your program, the vibe in the locker room can be a little bit different because of the emotions involved," he said. "I think halftime gave us a chance to settle in and understand our goal of playing basketball and getting the W. We were able to refocus and go from there."