Chilliwack’s Deanna Tuchscherer became the first University of the Fraser Valley women’s basketball player to earn Canada West rookie of the year honours as the conference handed out its major awards on Thursday.
The six-foot-one forward out of G.W. Graham Secondary – named to the CW third all-star and all-rookie teams last week – had an outstanding debut at the university level this season.
Tuchscherer averaged 15.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, ranking second on the team to Taylor Claggett in both categories. She finished 10th in the CW scoring race, and led all U SPORTS rookies in total points (308) and field goals (123) while helping the Cascades to a 16-4 regular-season record and a run to the CW quarter-finals.
A pair of particularly memorable performances highlighted Tuchscherer’s campaign. On Jan. 16, she set a program record for points in a Canada West game, pouring in 35 points in a road win vs. Trinity Western. On Feb. 1, she came within one rebound of becoming the first Cascades women’s hoopster to post a triple double, registering 14 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds in a victory at Thompson Rivers.
“I’m just really happy for Deanna and the season that she’s had,” Cascades head coach Al Tuchscherer said. “She’s had a really good transition to the university level, particularly at the offensive end of the floor – she’s been able to score in a variety of different ways. As the season’s gone on, she’s been able to facilitate for her teammates, and I think her defence has dramatically improved as the year’s gone on. She’s had a really impactful first year, and I’m happy that she’s been recognized for the contributions she’s made to our team success.”
Tuchscherer is a finalist for the U SPORTS rookie of the year award; the winner will be announced next week.