Royals’ season comes to an end
By Josh Martin, Sports Editor
The PacWest provincial basketball championships took place last weekend, with the Douglas College men’s and women’s teams taking part in the tournament at Camosun College in Victoria, BC.
The third-seeded women’s Royals made it to the semifinals after a 61–56 victory over the host team and sixth-seeded Camosun Chargers. Advancing to the semifinals, the Royals faced the second-overall team in the league, the VIU Mariners, in a heated battle that ended in a nail-biter of a finish with a 70–68 win over the Royals. It marked the end of a turnaround year for the Royals, who finished third-overall in the standings with an impressive 14–7 record and 28 points in 21 games, as well as capturing their first national ranking in recent years, finishing 10th overall in Canada.
The VIU Mariners advanced to the PacWest finals, defeating the first-overall team, the Capilano Blues, in a 65–55 affair to capture gold. The Royals faced the Kwantlen Eagles in the bronze medal game and came out on top with a 68–41 win to capture third place.
The fourth-overall men’s basketball team took on the fifth-overall Capilano Blues in the quarterfinals last Thursday, winning 83–65. The Royals advanced to the semifinals against the first-overall Langara Falcons, but lost 103–71, finishing their season and playoff dreams. The Falcons went on to the finals to capture gold against the second-overall VIU Mariners in a 78–74 match. The Royals participated in the bronze medal game but lost to the Quest Kermodes by a score of 103–86.
