Metro Vancouver…..The KPU Eagles (PACWEST, CCAA) women’s basketball team opened their 2014 preseason exhibition schedule at home in the Eagles’ Nest in Surrey, BC Friday, September 26th versus the UFV Cascades (Canada West, CIS). The Eagles fell 85-52 to the 2014 CIS bronze medalist Cascades, but overall it was a good game that proved to be a valuable experience for KPU.
The Eagles started off the game as a strong unit and kept the Cascades off the scoreboard for the first two minutes while scoring 8 points of their own. KPU forced multiple turnovers and made a number of successful steals in the first half of the first quarter. A few Cascade breakaways and shots in the paint would push the score to 23-14 in favour of UFV going into the second quarter.
In the second quarter KPU and UFV would continue to battle for the ball, but a number of Eagle fouls and successful Cascades shots from the line would end the half at a score of 64-32 for the visiting UFV team. At the half KPU’s new point guard Samantha Kelleigh, Stanwood, WA, USA, led the Eagles in scoring with 11 points, followed by second-year guard Shilpa Khanna, Surrey, BC, with nine points. KPU Eagles head coach Dan Nayebzadeh noted, “We had some nice execution of offense at times, nice execution of defense at times. We have some areas that we will need to address. ”
The third quarter was offensively tougher for the Eagles with only seven points scored and more fouls continued to stack up. The fourth quarter saw a late push by the Eagles, energized by first-year point guards Amelia Worrell, Liberia, Costa Rica, and Ana Moroziuk, Penticton, BC. KPU’s scoring leaders at the end of the night were Kelleigh with 16 points, Christina Brown, Langley, BC, with 10 points, and Khanna with nine. In the second half Eagles shot 83% from the line while the Cascades shot 85%. For the game KPU had 24 total rebounds while UFV had 37.
Coach Nayebzadeh was pleased with his team’s first preseason exhibition game. “It was a good start to the preseason to be up against a tough CIS team. The ladies came out focused and executed early on, it was a great first half,” he stated, “We fatigued as the game wore on and gave up a number of points from free throws, but overall it was a good game I’m really happy with how the team did.”
KPU 14+18+7+13 = 52
UFV 23+23+18+19 = 83
Next up for the Eagles on the preseason exhibition schedule is a game at home in the Eagles Nest on Saturday, October 4th at 1:00pm versus PACWEST CCAA rivals, the Camosun College Chargers.
For more information on the Department of Athletics & Recreation, please contact Junelle Mah, sports information and marketing, at 604-786-0804 or at junelle.mah@kpu.ca.
The KPU Eagles Department of Athletics & Recreation enters its 14th season of interuniversity competition. The Eagles are members of the PACWEST conference and play in the Canadian College Athletic Association (CCAA) with 100 student-athletes participating on eight varsity teams in men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, badminton and golf. KPU athletics plays its home games at the Eagles’ Nest (Surrey Campus), Northview Golf & Country Club, Newton Athletic Park, all located in Surrey, BC and the Ace Badminton Centre in Richmond, BC. The Eagles are active in the conference with staff members on various advisory committees and competing to host both provincial and national championships. The student-athletes are mainly from the lower mainland but KPU’s rosters have included student-athletes from North America, South America, Asia and Europe.