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UFV Cascades women’s basketball signs Port Coquitlam trio

Cascades ink Terry Fox Ravens players, threesome join team in 2022
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The UFV Cascades have signed Terry Fox Ravens trio Ana-Maria Misic (left), Alisha Weloy and Lauren Clements. (Dan Kinvig/UFV Cascades)

The University of the Fraser Valley women’s basketball team has plucked a trio of talented teammates from B.C.’s No.1-ranked high school girls basketball team - the Terry Fox Ravens.

The school announced on Thursday (Dec. 16) that they have recruited Ana-Maria Misic, Alisha Weloy and Lauren Clements from the Port Coquitlam-based high school.

The trio have played together on the court since elementary school.

During their Grade 9 year, they helped their Terry Fox junior girls squad win the B.C. championship, posting a flawless 35-0 record along the way. As Grade 10s, they played up on the Ravens’ senior girls squad, winning a provincial 4A silver medal. After losing their Grade 11 high school season due to COVID-19, their Ravens open the 2021-22 campaign at No. 1 in the provincial 4A rankings and are heavy favourites to win another B.C. crown.

Misic, Weloy and Clements have also suited up for Basketball BC provincial teams together.

“This is a group of kids who have been playing together for a long, long time, right from their elementary school days,” Cascades head coach Al Tuchscherer said. “They’re really familiar with each other, and still the best of friends after all that travel and all those years.

“They’ve won a lot throughout the years, and I don’t think you can ever underestimate players like that who know how to win. We’re excited about infusing their winning pedigree into our program.”

Misic, a 5-10 forward, won the top defensive player award at the 2019 B.C. junior championships, and was a first team all-star at the 2020 senior provincials. She also earned accolades on the club scene, picking up all-star nods at the Western Canadian championships and Basketball Nationals.

“Ana has a great work ethic,” Tuchscherer stated. “She has a diverse game, in that she can play at both ends of the floor equally well. She can defend, she can play a little bit inside, and she’s become a pretty good shooter. There’s a lot of versatility in her game that we like, and we’re excited to bring her into the fold.”

Weloy, a 5-9 guard, was the top defensive player at 4A senior provincials in 2020 as the Ravens won silver, and was player of the game in the 2019 B.C. junior final. She was also a starter with the B.C. provincial squad.

“Alisha is one of those special types of players who really loves to play defence,” Tuchscherer said. “She builds her game from the defensive end of the floor, and we’re really excited about that. We take a lot of pride in defence ourselves, so she’s a great fit for our program. You can’t sleep on her offence, either – she can shoot it, she can put the ball on the ground, and she can pass – but defence is her calling card.”

Clements, a 5-8 guard/forward, was a first team all-star as the Ravens won junior girls provincials in 2019, and was MVP of the Big Ticket tournament the following season at the senior level. She’s also earned a pair of female athlete of the year awards (junior and senior) at Terry Fox Secondary.

“Lauren really loves to score, and she can do it in a variety of ways,” Tuchscherer said. “She’s comfortable with the ball in her hands – she can shoot it, she can attack off the dribble, and she’s a tenacious rebounder. We’re really going to welcome the offence that she’s going to bring to our team.”

The trio will be joining the Cascades in the fall of 2022.

The women’s team returns to action on Jan. 8 when they travel to Kelowna to battle the UBC-O Heat. The next home game is set for Jan. 21 when the Trinity Western University Spartans come to Abbotsford.

The club enters the holiday break with a record of 5-1 and they rank second in the West division.

RELATED: Chilliwack’s Deanna Tuchscherer heating up for UFV women’s basketball team



Ben Lypka

About the Author: Ben Lypka

I joined the Abbotsford News in 2015.
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