It might not have been the medal they wanted, but the VIU Mariners’ women’s basketball team overcame a disappointing semi-final loss to defeat the hometown Camosun Chargers and capture the bronze medal.
The match was a tightly contested one between the two Island rivals as the Chargers came out strong early in the game, determined to capture a medal in front of their home town fans. But the Mariners did a good job of battling back as the game progressed. At halftime, the Mariners led 22-20.
By the second half, the Mariners started to pull away from the Chargers, who were ultimately unable to compete with the Mariners’ powerful offense. When the final buzzer sounded, the Mariners captured the PacWest bronze medal with a 57-44 victory. Sienna Pollard led the Mariners, with 14 points and seven blocks in the victory.
The Mariners did a good job of rebounding from a tough semi-final loss the night before against the Douglas Royals.
The Mariners got off to a hot start against Douglas, taking an 11-4 lead early in the first quarter. But after the early outburst, the Mariners’ offense went ice cold, allowing the Royals to jump out to a 29-16 lead at halftime. The Mariners came out strong in the second half and narrowed the Royals’ lead to a single basket late in the third quarter. But the Royals continued their strong play and never let the Mariners tie the game. The Mariners had their chances to pull even in the game’s final moments, but ultimately fell to Douglas by a final score of 62-57. The Douglas victory marked the second time this season the Mariners lost a game to a team other than the Provincial Champion Quest Kermodes.
Despite the third place finish at the Provincials, the Mariners will still get a chance to compete at the CCAA National Championships as the host team. The Nationals are in Nanaimo from March 19-21. The Mariners’ first game of the Nationals is Thursday, March 19 at 6 pm.
