Royals face mid-table challenge
By Davie Wong, Sports Editor
This week’s viewing selection brought many a game to the fans of sport. If you were a Douglas fan, then you were also treated to some great women’s basketball games featuring two of British Columbia’s best teams from across the strait as the VIU Mariners and Camosun Chargers came to visit.
The Mariners were playing for table positioning against the Royals. The two came into the weekend jockeying for second and third and both wanted to prove a point. The opening quarter of the match set the tone. An explosion of offence erupted from both teams, with the Royals behind the driving seat to start. The Royals scored 21 points in the first quarter and 17 points in the second, giving them a 38–31 lead.
The second half of the game saw the Mariners give the Royals everything they had. The sudden offensive burst caught the Royals just off guard, but it was enough for the Mariners who snagged the lead 43–41 going into the fourth.
The Royals answered back in the fourth quarter as desperation took hold. But Sienna Pollard and her Mariners held fast and withstood the Royals’ barrage. At the end of the game, when the dust settled, the Royals ended up taking the L, losing out to the Mariners by four points.
Despite the result, several Royals had fantastic games. Sarah Jorgenson had 10 points and 8 rebounds, while Amber Beasley had her best game of the year, scoring 17 points in a frenzy. Rachel Beauchamp also came out of the game in form. Her 12 points and 11 rebounds gave her yet another double-double to add to her season record. Although the loss weighed heavy on everyone’s minds, the Royals knew they had very little time to shape up before the next game.
The Chargers came into Saturday’s game with a chip in their shoulder. Having been thrashed by the Blues the night before, the team wanted nothing more than to split the weekend and take a win off the Royals. But the Royals had other thoughts, and the game started out in their favour. The home squad took the lead early and never let it go.
They walked into halftime with a 40–27 lead, and then went out in the third and absolutely went off on the Chargers. Thirty-seven points in the third quarter alone were more than enough to put away the game. A humble 12 points in the fourth was the finish the Chargers were all but waiting for as the Royals bounced back into the PACWEST season with a 1–1 weekend.
Nearly everyone on the Royals had a big game against Camosun, but it was Rachel Beauchamp who really blew away the competition. Having been on the court for only 18 minutes, Beauchamp still snagged a team high 21 points, as well as 11 rebounds for her second double-double on the weekend.
The weekend results put the Royals in the same spot in which they started: tied for second or third with the VIU Mariners. Despite handing the Royals a loss, the Mariners were dismantled by a Capilano team that is still undefeated. Going 1–1 as well put the Mariners in the same spot as the Royals as both teams look to next week to distance themselves a bit.
