VICTORIA - The University of Victoria women's basketball team fell to the University of the Fraser Valley, 57-52, in its home opener, Nov. 2 at CARSA Performance Gym.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Back and forth first half results in three-point game at halftime

• The Vikes and Cascades went basket for basket through the first 10 minutes of play, with the largest leads of the quarter being only three points. The Vikes held that lead both times, first on a three by Karis de Paiva for the 5-2 lead with 8:20 to go, then on a three from Natalie Allison for the 12-9 advantage with 3:21 to go. Each time, the Cascades responded with three pointers of their own to tie the game.
• Fraser Valley put the final points of the quarter on the board, holding a 15-14 edge at the end of the first quarter.
• UFV went up by three, 17-14, to open the second quarter, but consecutive jumpers from Meike Boerstra, de Paiva, Tegan Michel and Abigail Becker flipped the lead back to the Vikes, 22-17, with 4:32 to play. Michel added a free throw 30 seconds later for the six-point advantage, 23-17.
• A 12-3 run in favour of the Cascades would close the second quarter, resulting in a 29-26 UFV lead at the halftime break.

Two points separate second half scoring

• A back and forth contest continued through the second half. The third quarter ended with each side scoring 14 points, while the Cascades finished with a two-point advantage, 14-12, in the fourth quarter to close out the five-point win, 57-52.
• The Vikes took the lead in the third quarter, using a six-point run from four Makena Anderson points and a layup from Abigail Becker, 36-35, with 6:11 to go in the third. Like the rest of the game, the Cascades would score and trade baskets over the final six minutes of the frame, until two UFV free throws kept the Cascades in front, 43-40, after three quarters of play.
• A three from Allison to open the fourth quarter scoring tied the game, 43-43, but UFV would take the lead and hold on it for the rest of the quarter, taking the 57-52 win.

FROM THE COURT - Mimi Sigue
"It was a really physical game. I feel like it was a good first test because they're [UFV] going to be one of the better teams in our division, so it was nice to have a close game with them to start off. There's a lot of room for improvement, but I thought we did really good. We're a really young team, so we're working on getting everyone into the flow, and getting experience on the floor will help."

WORTH NOTING

• Natalie Allison led the Vikes with 15 points, adding three rebounds, two steals, one assist, and one block in 37 minutes on the floor.
• Mimi Sigue nearly had a double-double with a 13-point, nine-rebound night.
• Abigail Becker led the Vikes' rebounding with 11, which tied for the game-high. She added eight points, three assists, three steals, and one block for the Vikes.
• Victoria and UFV both now sit at 1-1 on the year.

UP NEXT
The Vikes host the University of Northern British Columbia at CARSA Performance Gym Nov. 8-9. Get your tickets here or tune in on Canada West TV presented by BioSteel.