Dan Kinvig, UFV Athletics

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – A big third quarter was the difference as the Winnipeg Wesmen defeated the University of the Fraser Valley women's basketball team 74-60 on Saturday evening at the Envision Financial Athletic Centre.

Winnipeg took a modest 30-24 lead into halftime, but outscored the hosts 26-11 in the third to break the game open. The Cascades came to life offensively in the fourth quarter and whittled a 25-point deficit down to 10, but the Wesmen were able to secure a weekend sweep in Abbotsford.

Antoinette Miller (25 points, 10 rebounds) and Faith Hezekiah (23 points, 10 rebounds) both had double-doubles to pace the visitors, while the Cascades got a big night from Taylor Claggett (20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists).

The Wesmen leveled their record to 4-4 in Canada West conference play, while the Cascades fell to 2-6.

Winnipeg led 14-11 after the first quarter, but UFV opened the second on a 7-2 run, highlighted by triples from Victoria Jacobse and Sara Simovic, to surge ahead. The Wesmen, though, reeled off a 10-0 run of their own, with five points coming from Jessica Dyck, to build a 30-20 lead. The Cascades scored the last four points of the frame to make it 30-24 at the half.

The third quarter was all Winnipeg – they fashioned another 10-0 run midway through the frame, and stretched the lead to 54-29 on a Hezekiah trey at the 2:08 mark. The Cascades made a fourth-quarter push, but the deficit was too much to overcome.

Simovic (12 points, seven rebounds, four assists) also scored in double figures for the Cascades, while Jacobse and Shayna Litman chipped in with eight points apiece.

Robyn Boulanger counted a trio of three-pointers among her 11 points, and Dyck finished with nine points for the Wesmen.

Both teams play at home next weekend in Friday-Saturday sets. The Cascades host the UBC Okanagan Heat, while the Wesmen take on the UBC Thunderbirds.