Bearcats domesticated!

Women’s basketball with a huge victory

By Michael Sopow, Sports Reporter

On November 14, the Douglas College Royals women’s basketball team kicked off their fourth regular season game against the Columbia Bible College (CBC) Bearcats. The Royals, entering the game undefeated in league play, were looking to extend their win streak by staying committed to their defensive tactics.

The game began with Douglas making crucial defensive stops early and capitalizing on the momentum and possession gained as a result, having them take an early lead right off the bat. Throughout the first quarter, the Bearcats struggled to penetrate Douglas’ solid defence, which led to CBC having multiple offensive turnovers. This gave the Royals the opportunity to hone in on their own offensive tactics and take a noticeable 22-8 lead by the end of the first.

In the second, Columbia regained their composure and had moments where they looked as though they were going to turn the game around. Douglas struggled offensively and the Bearcats were able to gain back some leverage on the scoreboard, ending the second quarter at a more respectable 30-19. Douglas College was still leading, but the game felt as if it now had the potential to go any team’s way.

“Our second quarter was terrible, especially offensively…” said Courtney Gerwing, head coach of the Douglas women’s basketball team, after the game. “There was no flow to our offence, it was sort of ‘hesitate and then shoot.’ We got it into the post and we got kind of swarmed, and we tried to throw up shots instead of ‘read and react.’ I think in the third quarter we started to change that, and the score showed it, and that was our most potent offensive output of the quarter, probably yet this year, so it was good to see that switch happen through halftime.”

After halftime, moments into the third quarter, the Royals’ offence exploded. It was point after point in favour of Douglas, while Columbia’s offence seemed to vanish completely.

Early into the fourth quarter, the Royals led 62-27, and the game looked as though it was over already. The Bearcats were nowhere to be seen. The game ended 76-37. This gave the women their fourth straight victory of the season and a definite confidence boost after their fantastic performance.

“We kind of just try to do one game at a time,” Gerwing stated. “We’re learning and getting better each game, and each day so that’s kind of where we’re going and what our goals are. Whether it’s a win or a loss, it just happens to be going well right now.”