UBCO basketball standout Jaeli Ibbetson named to Canada West all rookie team

You couldn't have asked for a better start to a rookie season.

One of the most successful female basketball players at the high school level ever to play in Kelowna, stayed at home to play for her local university, and the results after one year have been award-worthy.

Jaeli Ibbetson's outstanding play for UBC Okanagan Heat women's basketball team, under the tutelage of head coach Bobby Mitchell, earned her a spot on the Canada West All-Rookie team.

Ibbetson is the first UBCO women's basketball player to make a conference all-rookie team and coach Mitchell couldn't be prouder.

"This is very exciting for our program, but especially Jaeli, she works so hard and it's nice to see her recognized for all her hard work," said Mitchell. "Having coached Jaeli with the Junior Heat program I got to see this first hand and knew she would have an immediate impact at the U SPORTS level."

And if not for a broken hand in November, the 2019 Kelowna Secondary grad may well have won the conference's top honour for a rookie, rookie of the year.

She wasted no time making her mark. A white-hot start earned Ibbetson the conference top star of the week after the Heat's opening weekend.

And her stellar play continued right up to her injury. The Heat forward's start was one of the best ever by a CW rookie—after her first four games she was averaging 17.5 points a game, along with a conference-best 14 boards a game.

The hand injury cost Ibbetson eight of the 20 league games, but that didn't make too much of a difference in her total numbers. The Junior Heat product's final numbers had her averaging a double-double. Only the second player in UBCO's history to do so. She averaged 13.8 points a contest along with 10.2 rebounds a game, including more than four a game on the offensive glass.

Coach Mitchell really feels he is building something special in the Okanagan by utilizing the top-level local players. With the success of Ibbetson and Kelsey Falk, a Vernon product and fellow rookie, he believes that playing at home is something Okanagan athletes should really consider.

"The fact Jaeli is doing this at home, and taking full advantage of her opportunity is awesome. Both she and Kelsey have stepped into big roles," he says. "Not only did they not disappoint, but they both excelled. I think this says a lot about the future. As a first-year and a product of Junior Heat Kelsey averaged 7.5 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game, and was always handed the toughest defensive assignments."

Ibbetson's average of 10.2 boards was the best mark for a rookie in the country, and her ability to crash the glass on the offensive end is the top stat in the league—regardless of year. Adding on to that, her 4.9 offensive rebounds a contest was tops in all of U SPORTS.