Ben Chessor
The Navigator
With only one game left in the 2014 PacWest regular season, the VIU Mariners are trying to secure a top two spot in the standings. A top two spot would give the team a by in the first round of the PacWest provincial championship. The Mariners only have one game left to play in the season, as the team finished their home schedule on February 15 against Douglas College.
The Mariners had the offense working in their last home game of the season. The Mariners led Douglas 25-20 at the end of the first quarter and had expanded their lead to 63-39 at halftime. But the offense was just getting started as the Mariners started to pour it on in the second half. Early in the fourth quarter, the Mariners managed to break the 100 marker for the first time during the regular season. By the end of the fourth quarter, the boys had put 118 points on the board. The Final score was VIU-118 Douglas College-69. The 49 point margin of victory is the second largest for the Mariners this season.
A night earlier, February 14, the Mariners played host to the PacWest’s top team, the Langara Falcons. Langara jumped out to an early lead, but the Mariners kept it close. The Falcons led 26-20 after the first quarter. The Mariners worked hard in the second quarter and managed to cut the lead to 42-39 heading into halftime. The Mariners crept even closer in the third quarter, cutting the Falcons’ lead to 59-57 at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth, the two teams traded baskets back and forth, but when the final buzzer sounded, the Mariners’ comeback effort fell just short as the Falcons snuck out of the VIU gym with a 76-75 win.
The men were also victorious in both of their home games the previous weekend, picking up an 80-67 win over the Capilano Blues and following that up with a massive 83-64 victory against the Quest Kermodes. Quest currently sits in second place in the PacWest standings, with VIU in third place. Both teams only have one game left to play this season.
The Mariners’ last game of the regular season is on Friday, February 21 against the Camosun Chargers. After that, it’s the provincial championships, which are held February 27-March 1 at Douglas College.