The University of the Fraser Valley women’s basketball team beat the Vancouver Island University Mariners 79-62 in exhibition action on Saturday evening at the Envision Athletic Centre.
Third-year guard Kaitlyn McDonald, a Chilliwack native and GW Graham grad, was among the standouts for the Cascades.
McDonald was on fire from beyond the arc, going 6-for-7 from downtown en route to a team-high 18 points.
The hosts out-rebounded the Mariners, a PacWest conference program, by a 51-26 margin.
“We know Kaitlyn can be a great shooter, and that’s what we’re expecting from her this year – to knock down some shots,” said UFV bench boss Al Tuchscherer. “I’m sure she’s not going to go 6-for-7 every night, but we’re looking for her to knock down shots. If nobody’s defending her, she’s got to hit. That was good see.”
Another Chilliwackian, Shayna Cameron, notched 16 points for UFV.
A third Chilliwackian, Kayli Sartori, added 14.
Lanae Adams scored a game-high 22 points for VIU.
The Cascades sealed the win with strong defence in the fourth quarter, out-scoring the Mariners 17-7 in the frame. Tuchscherer wasn’t thrilled with his team’s defence prior to that point, though.
“For most of the game, we were kind of lost defensively,” he analyzed. “It was nice to finish strong, but the first three quarters – especially the third quarter defensively – we were not where we needed to be. I give full credit to VIU. They came out and played a great game tonight.”
The Cascades host a pair of exhibition games next weekend. The play the PacWest’s Capilano Blues at 6 p.m. on Friday, and the Western Mustangs – a fellow CIS program from London, ON – at 6 p.m. on Saturday.