Royals basketball faces off against mismatches
By Davie Wong, Sports Editor
It’s been a long time coming for the Royals. After a winter break full of mental rest and physical training, the teams were back at it on the court this week to restart the PACWEST season. They faced off against the struggling Bearcats on Thursday, who are still looking for their first win.
The women got the action started. Right from the start, the game was slated in the Royals’ favour. Their ability to lockdown the other team was on point in the first half. The Royals racked up 33 points, while limiting their opponents to only 10.
The Bearcats had a better showing in the second, putting up 20 points in the last half of the game, but it wasn’t enough as the Royals cruised to a 83–30 victory. Several Royals had huge games, including Rachel Beauchamp, who ended the night with 21 points; Ellen Fallis, who finished with 11 points; and Simran Bir, who rained 15 points down on the Bearcats.
The men faced off right after, with the Royals again taking the upper hand right from the start. Fifty-one points from the men gave them a hefty lead by half time. The Bearcats fell nearly 30 points behind, and couldn’t recover. The Royals finished strongly in the second half of the game as well. Final score was 86–57 for the Royals.
A hefty number of male players had fantastic games on the scoresheet as well. Five players scored points in the double digits, including four starters, but the best player on the court that night had to be Reese Morris. Morris had 10 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.
With another win under their belt, the Royals went back to the lower mainland to face off against the PACWEST’s best in the league, the Capilano Blues. For the women, it was a chance to avenge their loss in their season opener and to even up the record, as the Blues were the only team to defeat them in the first split of the season.
Even though it was the Blues’ first game back from the winter break, the Capilano team seemed to have the Royals’ number in the first quarter, scoring 14 to the Royals’ 10. But the Douglas squad locked down in the second and only allowed 6 points while scoring 12 of their own to take the lead heading into halftime, leaving the score 22–20.
The lead would only last partway through the third, as the Blues came back swinging after the break. The game was a battle all the way until the end, but at the last whistle, the lead still belonged to the Blues. Despite fantastic performances from Rachel Beauchamp (17 points), Sarah Jorgenson (11 points), and Simran Bir (10 points), the women’s team fell to the Blues, 60–54.
The men took on the Blues that night as well with hopes that theirs would be a different fate. They took destiny into their own hands with a massive first quarter, racking up 24 points. They followed it up with a 13 point quarter leading into half time, with an 11 point lead, at 37–27.
However, the second half saw the Blues storm into action and steal both the lead and the game away from the Royals. Though Sheldon Derton (13 points), Malcolm Mensah (17 points), and Reese Morris (16 points) all had great games, the Blues would ultimately win, 79–72.
