McCarthy shines as Heat post big win over WolfPack

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — The UBCO Heat women's basketball team (7-6) overpowered the Thompson Rivers WolfPack (5-8), sealing an emphatic 85-41 victory on Friday night. The Heat's stifling defence was pivotal, holding TRU to a mere 25.5% field goal percentage while dominating the boards with 48 total rebounds.

Tennyson McCarthy delivered an impressive performance, notching 16 points and a team-leading 16 rebounds, along with three blocks. Kiana Kaczur chipped in 11 points, perfectly sinking all three of her 3-point attempts. Lily Pink contributed 15 points, including three 3-pointers, and added three assists. Temi Aina was flawless from the charity stripe, hitting all six attempts to tally 10 points.

Olena Vasylenko led TRU with eight points, hitting 3 of 10 from the field and grabbing two rebounds. Morgan Eichenberger was a force on the boards with seven rebounds, alongside a block and seven points, making all her free throws.

UBCO set the tone in the first quarter, shooting an impressive 63% from the field, including three 3-pointers, to seize an early lead. The Heat capitalized on their inside presence, scoring 10 points in the paint, and were perfect from the free-throw line. Despite four turnovers, UBCO's defence was relentless, restricting TRU to just 13% shooting and allowing only two field goals. By the end of the first quarter, UBCO was ahead 27-10.

The Heat extended their lead in the second quarter, outpacing TRU 18-13, thanks to sharp shooting from beyond the arc with three 3-pointers. UBCO controlled the boards, securing 10 rebounds to TRU's five, creating second-chance points and stifling the WolfPack's offence. Defensively, the Heat forced four turnovers from TRU while committing only three, bolstering their lead to 45-23 at halftime.

In a closely fought third quarter, UBCO edged TRU 14-13. The Heat's prowess on the boards continued, with 14 rebounds, including eight offensive, leading to crucial second-chance points. UBCO's shooting dropped to 22% from the field, but they capitalized on free throws, converting four of six. TRU found some success in the paint with eight points but struggled with turnovers, committing four. After three quarters, UBCO led 59-36.

The Heat dominated the final quarter, outscoring TRU 26-5. UBCO turned seven WolfPack turnovers into 10 points, while limiting TRU to just two points off turnovers. The Heat's precision shooting was on full display, making 10 of 17 field goals, including four 3-pointers, and they out-rebounded TRU 11-5. At the final buzzer, UBCO claimed an 85-41 win.

With the victory, the Heat take a 3-2-1 lead in the women's Presidents' Cup trophy race and will have a chance to clinch their fifth-straight victory over Thompson Rivers on Saturday when the two teams rematch. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. and fans can catch the game live on CanadaWest.tv presented by BioSteel.

Game Notes:
- McCarthy's 16 rebounds set a new career-high for the third-year forward, marking her first double-double of the season and second of her career.
- McCarthy became just the fourth player in team history to record at least 16 rebounds in a game.
- Six Heat players finished the game in double figures for scoring.
- The Heat extended their winning streak against the WolfPack to 10 consecutive games.