There's only one word to describe the relationship between VIU and CBC:
Hate.
These are two schools that, as badly as they want to win, want to see the other burn to the ground.
As per usual, I will recap both seasons for the Bearcats, go over their strengths, weaknesses, and recruits, and see how they match up against VIU.
Women's
Season recap
CBC entered the season looking to redeem themselves after a first-round exit against the #6 seeded Okanagan Coyotes.
Their road to consistent contention was far from easy. The Bearcats did not win a single game from 2015 to 2023, and many thought they would remain in the province's cellar for many more years to come.
In 2023-24, things transformed almost overnight. After hiring Taylor Claggett that offseason, the Bearcats won their opening game 60-55 over Camosun in front of a raucous Abbotsford crowd. It was their first win in almost a decade.
After an unassuming 2-0 start to 2024-25, they travelled to Nanaimo to face the VIU Mariners, who were themselves looking to rebound from a disappointing finish last year.
However, before a minute was played, trouble already began to brew. Taylor Claggett, then in her second season with the Bearcats, spoke to officials about VIU's starting centre, Harriette Mackenzie. Claggett begged to both referees and match commissioners to not let her play, but her cries went unanswered.
That weekend, Claggett sought a compromise: If she couldn't remove Mackenzie from the start of the game, remove her in the middle of it. As Mackenzie waited inside the post, Claggett instructed fifth-year forward Madeline Beerwald to grab Mackenzie and throw her to the floor.
Claggett's decision was likely rooted in religious transphobia, though it remains unclear if she was told by others at CBC to target Mackenzie or if she did it of her own volition.
Regardless, her actions would not go unpunished. In addition to CBC losing both games in Nanaimo, their second set of games, which were scheduled to be in Abbotsford, were cancelled. CBC was stripped of the right to host that year's PACWEST championships, and Claggett was suspended for the remainder of the season.
Under interim head coach Alexis Worrell, the Bearcats ended the year on a torrid streak. They earned the #2 seed as winners of their last 17 games, which included going undefeated at home.
They continued to make history at the PACWEST championships, where they defeated Douglas to not only win the first playoff game in program history, but also clinch their first bid to nationals. They would have to suffice for a wild card birth after losing to the Mariners in the gold match, however.
Despite all of the drama and the scandal still looming large, CBC would get the last laugh. First to fall were the Geants de Saint-Jean. While VIU failed to earn a medal, the Bearcats kept rolling, defeating SAIT to punch their ticket to the national championship on their very first try. Two days later, they would defeat the St. Mary's Lightning to win their first national championship, and only the second in the history of CBC athletics.
Strengths and weaknesses
CBC's offense is otherworldly. Their backcourt was led by Kagari Tomita, while the frontcourt was dominated by CCAA nationals MVP Elissa Vreugdenhil, who led the conference in rebounds per game and averaged a 16-point double-double throughout CBC's title run, including scoring 19 points against St. Mary's.
Though not as multi-dimensional as teams like VIU, CBC's production is extremely similar, averaging just over 74 points per game. While they led the conference in three-point attempts, their percentage of made threes is a less than ideal 27.3%.
The Bearcats are also skilled at finding shooting lanes, as they led the league in assists per game, with fourth-year guard Kagari Tomita leading all players in that category.
CBC finished first in rebounds per game, mostly on the back of Vreugdenhil. Unfortunately, with the graduation of both her and Beerwald, CBC scrambled to find their replacements.
To fill that role, Claggett grabbed two recruits from the west, and another from a bit further south. Katelyn Mallette and Brooklyn Klim were both brought in from the forward factory of Capilano, while Kayanna Jackson was lured north of the border after spending last season at Edmonds Community College.
The guard room was fortified with a pair of Abbotsford natives: Two-way guard Kailyn Dieleman and three-level scorer Kendal Dueck, who will be reunited in the backcourt with her elder sister Julie.
The biggest addition for CBC, however, is technically a re-addition: Jay Hildebrand, a provincial all-star at nearby Yale Secondary, is returning to the Bearcats after spending a year away.
These additions should help CBC regain their swagger, and keep them in contention for another PACWEST title.
How do they fare against VIU?
CBC and VIU are more similar than any two teams in the conference (perhaps more than they'd like to admit). Both rely on a by-committee approach in the backcourt, while relying predominantly on one post presence.
I believe that these two will split their season series. VIU wins both games in Nanaimo, while CBC takes both in Abbotsford.
Should these two meet in the playoffs, it's hard to say. Recent history favors VIU, but they only played two regular season games against each other last year. I think that trend holds, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bearcats get their revenge.
Men's
Season recap
If any team could be described as “middle of the pack,” it would be last year’s CBC Bearcats. Their roster, while respected, wasn’t truly feared outside of second-year centre Spencer Dododza and veteran guard Cam Carter. First-year guard D’andre Palmer-Ormsby was a pleasant revelation, but the three weren’t enough to keep the Bearcats from finishing 11-13.
Regardless, they finished as the #4 seed and matched up against a young Langara Falcons team in the provincial quarterfinals. Their 78-72 victory was mostly a two-pronged effort. Cam Carter led the game in scoring with 20 points, while Dododza tallied an otherworldly 20 rebounds, almost half of which came in the first quarter alone.
That would prove to be their only win of the tournament, as they were felled by VIU 77-63 in the semifinals, then again by Camosun 90-72 in the bronze match, despite a valiant 23-point effort from Carter.
Strengths and weaknesses
I had the fortune of getting in contact with D'andre Palmer-Ormsby, a rookie on last season's Bearcats. He said the team's biggest strength was their buy-in to their system, which favors a well-balanced attack. Unfortunately, with Carter leaving and Dododza likely on his way out, as well as Van Egdom heading west to VIU, CBC lacks the immediate proven talent to get them over the edge.
This is not to say that the Bearcats lack talent at all. D'andre Palmer-Ormsby, who was named the conference's best rookie, averaged the 7th most points per game at 14.1. He should be part of a fearsome guard rotation with Dane-Dre Anglin, Lakeeb Hughes, and new recruit Vinh Nguyen.
The forward room should rebound nicely, as Favour Igbinyemi assumes a larger role alongside first-year centre Griffin Bollinger. I expect to see the Bearcats utilize Bollinger in the same way that the Milwaukee Bucks utilized Brook Lopez, as a stretch big who can attack the interior if need be.
How do they fare against VIU?
CBC is probably the most interesting team in the PACWEST. They could plummet to the bottom of the conference, but just as easily rocket to a top 3 seed. Regardless, I think VIU still has the upper hand. CBC has the advantage in their forwards, but VIU's constant perimeter assault is just too strong.
Counting the playoffs last year, VIU beat CBC five times in the 2024-25 season, and I expect that trend to continue, but it all depends on if CBC's youth can develop. If they can replace the holes in their lineup, I expect the Bearcats to remain competitive. If not, this upcoming season could get ugly.
Douglas is next. Until next time, this has been Kaleb Green, the voice of VIU.
-K
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