PREVIEW: KidSport night on Friday for UBC Okanagan basketball

Holding down third place the Heat will defend their home court against the Cascades this weekend. Tip-off on Friday night is at 6 p.m. and is the annual KidSport game. The rematch is set to tip-off  on Saturday at 5 p.m. 

UBC OKANAGAN HEAT (15-9, 10-4 Canada West)
CIS National Ranking: //
CanWest Standings: 3rd - Explorer
Last week: 0-1 // (Sat, L 71-70) at TRU
Streak: 1 Loss
2014-15 CW Regular Season Record: 6-14
2014-15 CW Playoff Record: /
2014-15 Overall Record: 7-18
Last CW Title/Total CW Titles: NA
Last CIS Title/Total CIS Titles: NA

• SCHEDULE
• ROSTER
• STATS
• STANDINGS

This week: The Heat will continue their season at home as the Fraser Valley Cascades will travel to Kelowna to play their weekend series on the UBC Okanagan hardwood. The first game of the weekend series will take place on Friday (Feb. 5) with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m. The second game will follow on Saturday, February 6th with a start time of 5 p.m.

Current Form: The UBC Okanagan women’s basketball team finished their fourth weekend of the 2016 campaign with a single game against TRU that ended in a 71-70 last second loss for the Heat. This loss drops the Heat’s record to (10-4) which has put them in third place in the Explorers division.

Standings: The top three teams in the Explorer division make the post season, UBCO currently has a three game lead on their opponent this week in the Cascades. The Heat are currently just one game back from first place, currently MacEwan and Thompson Rivers are tied at (11-3).

Key Players: The Heat are being led in scoring by fourth year guard Emily Kanester who is averaging 11.9 points per game. In the weekend game against Thompson Rivers Kanester was able to score 16 points in limited minutes due to foul trouble and was efficient from the field shooting (6-12) 50-percent. Following Kanester is third year guard Claire Elliott who is averaging 10.4 points per game and has 37 steals so far this season putting her fourth in that category. Fourth year forward, Kayla McFadden is also putting up big numbers for UBCO and finished the weekend game against TRU with 14 points.

Keys: Shooting is where the game will be decided as Fraser Valley is shooting 38.9 percent putting them 8th in that category compared to the Heat’s 32.2 percent putting them 15th in that category. If the Heat can be active and effective on offense they should be able to match the Cascades effective shooting from the field.

Head to Head: The Cascades hold a 11-1 advantage over the Heat in their Canada West history. The Heat’s first victory against Fraser Valley came on the road in early November. It was also first year coach of the Heat Claire Meadows' first win at the CIS level.

*Friday night is the fifth annual KidSport Games. KidSport Kelowna is partnering with UBC Okanagan Athletics to host ‘KidSport Night’ on February 5, 2016 at UBC Okanagan Heat men’s & women’s basketball games. Free admission will be given to school sports/club sports teams who wear their jerseys and all youth under the age of 12. For every three pointer made by the Heat $50 will be donated to  KidSport™.  KidSport™ Kelowna was launched in the 2002 and provides grants for local children 18 years and under to participate in a sports. So come out to cheer on the Heat and support KidSport!

Last February KidSport^TM earned $350 off the seven three-pointers potted by the Heat in their final game of the year. In previous years the Heat's men and women's team have raised: (2014, $500), (2013, $900), and (2012, $700) for the charity, for a grand total of $2450 over the past four years.

KidSport events during the varsity action at UBC Okanagan:

• Paper Airplane Throwing Contest @ Halftime during the women's basketball game.
  • Heat Athletics will host a “By Donation” Paper Airplane Throwing contest during the Women’s game.
• Free Throw Contest @ Halftime during the men's basketball game.
  • Heat Athletics will host a Free Throw Contest during Men’s game.

All proceeds from these half-time contests will be donated to KidSport Kelowna. There will also be many great prize giveaways throughout the entire night!

UBC Okanagan Athletics has donated 100 free entry tickets for KidSport Kelowna families to attend the games that night.

• Please email ticket requests to: Kelowna@kidsportcanada.ca

About KidSport™ BC:
KidSport™ was established in 1993 by Sport BC as a community based sport-funding program that provides grants to children ages 18 and under to participate in organized amateur sport. There are now 40 community chapters in BC and 175 chapters across Canada. KidSport™ works to fulfill its mission of eliminating the financial barriers to sport participation, ‘So ALL Kids Can Play!’

For more information contact:
Cheryl Browne, Chair | KidSport™ Kelowna Chapter.

FRASER VALLEY CASCADES (12-12, 7-7  Canada West)            
CIS National Ranking: //
CanWest Standings: 4th-Explorer
Last week: 0-2 // (Fri L, 76-61), (Sat L, 80-69) at MacEwan
Streak: 2 - Losses
2014-15 CW Regular Season Record: 12-8
2014-15 CW Playoff Record: 0-2
2014-15 Overall Record: 12-4
Last CW Title/Total CW Titles: /
Last CIS Title/Total CIS Titles: /

• SCHEDULE
• ROSTER
• STATS
• STANDINGS

Current Form: The Cascades go into this game with a (7-7) record and stand in fourth place in the Explorer division. The Cascades are coming off of two losses from MacEwan and will be looking to take a win off of the Heat as their last series ended with the Heat winning their first game since January of 2000 against UFV.

Key Performer: Kayli Sartori is leading UFV in scoring with an average of 19 points per game. Sartori is averaging an incredible 45 percent from the field and 36.7 from the three point line making her a threat to any team. Following Sartori is Taylor Claggett with an average of 13.1 points per game and Shayne Cameron with 13 points per game.

Head Coach- Al Tuchscherer (13th season)

preseason preview courtesy of Canadawest.org

Number of new players: 7 // Key Recruits (Name (POS/Hometown/Last Team)): Shayna Cameron (G/Chilliwack, B.C./Quest University), Sydney Williams (G/Langley, B.C./Thompson Rivers University), Taylor Claggett (F/Abbotsford, B.C./Mennonite Educational Institute), Kate Head (G/Maple Ridge, B.C./Maple Ridge Secondary)

Number of departing players: 4 // Key Losses (Name (POS/number of years with team)): Sarah Wierks (F/5), Celeste Dyck (G/5), Nataliia Gavryliuk (G/2)

Key performer: Kayli Sartori – The versatile 6’1” guard/forward returns to the Cascades after taking last year off. She was a standout for UFV over her first three seasons (2011-14), and was named a tournament all-star at the 2014 CIS national championships after helping the Cascades to the bronze medal.

Coach Quote: “It’s a different team, with a lot of toughness and athleticism to it. They’re skilled, and they play with a lot of determination. You combine those things, and this team could make some noise in Canada West.” – Cascades head coach Al Tuchscherer

Key storyline: The Cascades have waved goodbye to a handful of impact players – including All-Canadian centre Sarah Wierks – but their new-look roster has the talent to make noise in the Canada West playoffs.

Head coach Al Tuchscherer’s program is no stranger to playoff success – they made four straight trips to the Canada West Final Four between 2011 and 2014, highlighted by a Canada West silver medal and CIS bronze medal in 2014. They’re seeking a sixth straight playoff berth.

Fourth-year power forward Katie Brink is the most accomplished returnee from last year’s squad – her 14.8 points per game ranked second on the team. She’s being reunited with her former high school teammate Kayli Sartori – the two players won a B.C. AAA high school title together with Abbotsford’s W.J. Mouat Hawks in 2011. Sartori, a dynamic 6’1” guard/forward, took last year off school but returns for her fourth year of eligibility.

Other key contributors for the Cascades include transfers Shayna Cameron (formerly of Quest University) and Sydney Williams (Thompson Rivers University), veteran returnees Kaitlyn McDonald and Hailey Kendall, and rookies Taylor Claggett and Kate Head.