Box Score VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds women's basketball team made it two straight wins on Saturday evening, completing the sweep of the Lethbridge Pronghorns with a 77-47 triumph at War Memorial Gym.
Three 'Birds hit double digits in scoring on Saturday, as forward Kara Spotton notched 19 to pace the hosts, while Adrienne Parkin added 14, and Diana Lee netted 12 points. For the 'Horns, it was guard Mariah Miller who carried the load offensively, scoring 12 points. Rookie Katie Keith hit double-digits for the second consecutive night, putting away 10 points.
Where the 'Birds struggled in the early going of Friday's contest, they came out with all kinds of jump in the first quarter on Saturday. By the time the fame was five minutes old, the 'Birds had jumped out to a 14-3 lead, dictating the play on both ends of the court. A couple of athletic drives from Cherub Lum, as well as six points from Spotton, punctuated the early first quarter.
The game tightened up in the latter portion of the opening stanza, but the 'Birds still managed to control the play, finishing the quarter with a comfortable 24-9 lead. Spotton paced the 'Birds in the quarter, with nine points, while Lum was right on her tail with seven.
The second quarter saw Lethbridge pick up the pace significantly, as they netted 19 points, the team's highest single-quarter total from either of the weekend's contests. Miller and Keith each picked up six points in the frame, showing some impressive slashing ability around the basket.
As well as Lethbridge shot in the second frame, the home team matched the Pronghorns' offensive output at every turn. The T-Birds knocked down 20 points of their own, with a pair of fifth-year standouts in Parkin and Lee doing the majority of the damage. Both held scoreless in the first quarter, Parkin picked up eight points with some dogged work in the paint, while Lee notched six points with some deft shooting from the outside.
By the halftime buzzer, the 'Birds had maintained a comfortable advantage, going into the locker room ahead 44-28.
Coming out of the break, it seemed like a redux of the first quarter, as UBC stretched their lead event further with a 10-2 run over the third stanza's first five minutes. Lee and guard Shilpa Khanna made couple of splash plays, hitting back-to-back triples, while the T-Birds defence did an excellent job of closing shooting lanes, forcing low-percentage attempts, and a couple of Lethbridge shot clock violations.
With a 9-5 run over the stanza's last five minutes, the T-Birds ended the quarter up by a 30-point margin, 63-35.
The difference didn't change in the fourth as the teams tied 14-14 in the final frame. Miller led the Pronghorns with four points in the fourth.
The 'Birds will head out to Winnipeg to face the Manitoba Bisons in a two-game series next weekend. The first contest will take place at 4 p.m. (PT) on Friday, January 15, while the second leg is set for a 2 p.m. (PT) start on Saturday, January 16.
Lethbridge will travel to Saskatoon to play No. 1 Saskatchewan next weekend.
