Men's Weekend Recap: Cobra Kai

Two nationally ranked teams squared off in Nanaimo last weekend as the Mariners looked to keep the Chargers from stealing their PACWEST crown.

Friday - VIU 62, Camosun 67

What a game.

Kai Leighton returned to the Mariners lineup, but at the cost of Breandan McLaughlin, who many believe re-aggravated his ACL. With Markus Modrovic still sidelined, the Mariners faced a tall task against the conference's best defense.

A three from Kye Kotapski-Tinga got the party started, but a pair of layups from rookie wing Thomas Beames gave the Chargers a lead they would not soon relinquish.

A 21-15 lead was Camosun's to cherish, but an and-one layup from Rylan Adams started a VIU rally. Every player got in on the action, taking a narrow lead on an Ekman Sohal three, which was quickly erased by a free throw from Beames. He and Bastian traded layups to end the half, leaving the Mariners and Chargers deadlocked at 34.

The equality was put on full display in the third quarter, but the Mariners pulled away at the two-minute warning. Kai Leighton hit a three to increase the VIU lead to six, but that's as large as the lead would get for the Mariners.

The Chargers got to work in the fourth, slowly chipping away at the lead. A three from offseason acquisition Owen Jones put the Chargers up for good, and a pair of Beames layups gave the Chargers a narrow victory.

Thomas Beames went positively nuclear, scoring 25 points on 67% shooting, including a layup with six seconds left to put the game out of reach. He also added seven rebounds and two steals.

VIU's leading scorer was Kye Kotapski-Tinga with 13. He compensated for his unusually low outcome with four steals and five boards.

Saturday - VIU 84, Camosun 76

This weekend played eerily similar to Camosun's last trip up the Malahat: They grinded out a win on Friday and tried to do the same the day after, but ran out of gas in the second half.

A nine-point lead near the end of the first spelled doom for the Mariners, but a strong second quarter gave them a one-point lead going into the half.

David Finch put the team on his back, and a Jakob Neufeld layup gave the Chargers a one-point lead halfway through the third, but they would never lead again. The Mariners clamped Finch and Thomas Beames, and Camosun's interior offense couldn't keep up with VIU's perimeter assault as they earned a decisive weekend split, earning back full possession of the PACWEST's top seed.

Kai Leighton reacquired his starting role and made the most of it, scoring a game-high 22 points while adding nine rebounds and four assists, coming one board shy of a double-double. Ekman Sohal befell a similar fate, recording 10 points and a steal.

Thomas Beames had a quiet showing after the prior night's breakout, only scoring nine points on 25% shooting. David Finch instead led the way for the Chargers, scoring 17 points. Cormick Brown and Owen Jones were close behind with 12 and 10 respectively.

The Mariners, once again the top seed in the conference, head into the holiday break with several questions and less answers. McLaughlin's injury leaves VIU's post presence in limbo, but Markus Modrovic's return should tighten up VIU's defense, especially in the midrange. Matt Kuzminski has also told me that reinforcements are on the way, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

The Mariners come out of the break to host the CBC Bearcats on January 9th and 10th.

Women's Weekend Recap: Old Habits Die Hard

The Mariners, eyeing sole possession of the PACWEST crown, looked to keep the ball rolling in the first installment of the Island Rivalry.

Friday - VIU 60, Camosun 40

As is tradition, Rogers TV took their yearly voyage up the Malahat to carry the game on Friday.

As is also tradition, the Mariners boasted superiority over their cousins to the south.

A 19-7 lead after the first quarter would've been enough of a cushion, especially for VIU's airtight defense, but an and-one layup from Kaia Simpson at the buzzer increased it even more, and the Mariners would never trail again.

Another buzzer beater from Kaia Simpson gave the Mariners just enough a large enough push to cruise to their seventeenth consecutive victory over the Chargers.

Kaia Simpson, Rachel Labrador, and Camosun's Jordyn Broekhuizen all tied for the game lead with 11 points. Simpson added seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Trista Thorn led VIU's starters with eight points and three steals.

Saturday - VIU 66, Camosun 47

Camosun kept it interesting this time around: They led on multiple occasions and dominated most of the first half, but they ran out of gas in the second. A bombardment of midrange shots and timely defense propelled the Mariners to sole possession of first place in an extremely tight PACWEST.

Trista Thorn and Sammy Shields led the way for VIU, combining for 34 points, eight rebounds, and five steals.

Kanda Diop's return to the starting lineup was disappointing. Camosun's star center only recorded four points and fouled out.

Maliyah Mendoza and Jordyn Broekhuizen once again shouldered the offensive load for the Chargers, combining for almost a third of Camosun's points with 15. Jayci Chase and Kaia Simpson recorded ten rebounds each, both coming one point shy of a double-double.

The Mariners, victors of eighteen straight against the Chargers and newly-appointed head of the PACWEST pecking order, come out of the holiday break with a long-awaited rematch with the defending national champions, the CBC Bearcats.

Women's Weekend Recap: You Blue It

Shooting has been hard to come by for the Mariners, especially in recent weeks. Against the best defensive team in the conference, Tony Bryce's team faces a tall task.

Friday - VIU 63, Capilano 53

Wanna see the Mariners beat the Blues at their own game?

An even, if low-scoring first quarter saw the Mariners stonewall the Blues, then finish the second quarter on a 16-6 run.

VIU's defense would hold strong throughout the second half while their offense found their form from seasons past. A pair of Lucia Lopez free throws put Capilano within three, but they would never get any closer. A fast break layup from Sammy Shields gave the Mariners just large enough of a lead to cruise to a victory.

Four of VIU's starters eclipsed double digits, including Sammy Shields, who finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, and six steals.

Maddy Coffin led all scorers with 14 points, but no one else on the Blues got higher than Barcha Hnizdilova with nine.

Saturday - VIU 62, Capilano 48

Wanna see them do it again?

This game played out eerily similar to Friday as the Mariners raced out an early lead, but the Blues scored six points in three seconds, including a buzzer beater from Barcha Hnizdilova, to cut the lead to three going into the half.

Hnizdilova gave Capilano a 34-33 lead halfway through the third quarter, but a layup from Kiayra Hohlweg twelve seconds later started a VIU run. The Mariners controlled the perimeter all half, earning the weekend sweep in decisive fashion.

Hohlweg had another strong showing, scoring 13 points and grabbing all but one of VIU's offensive rebounds, but VIU's bench was the x-factor. Kaia Simpson led all scorers with 17 points, while Aysia Kumar had her first big game, scoring 10 points on 5-7 shooting.

Barcha Hnizdilova and Maddy Coffin led the way for Capilano with 13 and 10 points respectively, but their meager bench output from Friday managed even less as Mia Parkin led every other Blue with eight.

The Mariners head into their first bye week tied with Douglas for the top spot in the conference before a matchup with Camosun the week after.

Men's Weekend Recap: The Return

Mariners fans have had these games circled on their calendar for a long time. Peter Li, a longtime leader in VIU's guard room, returns to Nanaimo for the first time since transferring to Capilano.

Friday - VIU 85, Capilano 77

No love lost.

An even first quarter gave way to a nine point swing in the second, which the Mariners rode out of the half, taking a 20-point lead near the end of the third quarter.

The Blues wouldn't go gently, unleashing a barrage of threes, but the lead was too large to overcome as the Mariners escaped with their eighth win of the season.

Winston Cole and Ekman Sohal led the way for VIU, combining for 45 points, four assists, and 16 rebounds. Breandan McLaughlin added 11 rebounds of his own along with 11 points for his first double-double of the season.

Sukhraj Garcha was Capilano's leading scorer, finishing with 16 points on 75% shooting. Kash Lang and Zach Klim also reached double digits.

Saturday - VIU 88, Capilano 98

There's the Peter Li that was advertised.

The Blues rode the momentum of an excellent third quarter, outscoring the Mariners 31-24 to take an eight point lead into the final frame, where they survived a late push to earn the victory, just as they had in last year’s PACWEST title game. 

Though VIU shot well, the Blues shot better, converting all of their free throws while pulling down 36 rebounds. 

Kai Leighton’s absence continues to haunt the Mariners as they head into their first bye week, while the Blues have their statement win on the young season. 

Peter Li had a much better showing for Capilano, recording 18 points at a 33% clip. He took a backseat to fellow fifth-year guard Kash Lang, who scored a game-high 31 points while adding two steals, five assists, and three rebounds. 

Zach Hamed and Zach Klim thrived in the post, combining for 26 points and 15 rebounds. 

VIU’s leading scorer was Ekman Sohal with 28 points. The Mariners had four other players reach double digits, but routinely found themselves bullied out of the post. 

The Mariners have next week off before a crucial matchup with the Camosun Chargers the week after.

Men's Weekend Recap: Teach Me How To Dougie

Two teams at polar opposite ends of the PACWEST standings met over the weekend. The Mariners travelled to New Westminster for a match against a Douglas Royals unit much stronger than their 1-5 record would suggest.

Friday - VIU 68, Douglas 71

When you think about it, VIU is a lot like the late 90's-early 2000s Red Wings.

Whenever they lose, no matter who it's to, it's considered an upset.

Among all of those, this one takes the cake.

Douglas wasn't happy with how their games against Okanagan last week went, and did the exact thing to the third-ranked team in the country, roaring back from a 14-point deficit to grind out their biggest win in half a decade.

VIU was victimized by a relentless Royals defense, shooting only 20.7% from beyond the arc. By the time Douglas took their first lead with 36 seconds left, the Mariners ran out of gas, whiffing on their final three shots.

Derrick Monroe was all over the court for the Royals, recording 12 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. His wingman, rookie Olan Smith, led Douglas in scoring with 17 points.

Ryan Bastian scored a game-high 20 points and pulled down nine boards, but the rest of the team struggled in comparison.

Though the Mariners aren't in danger of losing their first-place playoff spot this weekend, this kind of loss can easily lead to a downward spiral if not immediately fixed.

Saturday - VIU 101, Douglas 90

Methinks the Mariners want heads after Friday.

A 39-point second quarter, punctuated by a buzzer beater from Ryan Bastian, gave the Mariners enough of a cushion to feel like they could ease off the gas in the second half.

Failing to learn their lesson from the night before, the Mariners let the Royals crawl back into the game, nearly squandering a 25-point lead. Thankfully, timely shooting from Levi Van Egdom kept Douglas at bay and got the Mariners out of New Westminster with a win.

Winston Cole had his breakout game for the Mariners, scoring 24 points while recording a game-high four steals. Levi Van Egdom added 23 off the bench, while Ryan Bastian racked up seven rebounds and eight assists, both game highs.

Derrick Monroe continues to sparkle for the Royals, leading all scorers with 25. Lorenzo Bonamin and Jesse Connoly also had great performances, scoring 14 and 15 respectively.

The Mariners return home next week for a grudge match with the Capilano Blues, while the Royals follow them there for a matchup with Camosun.

Women's Weekend Recap: Crown War

The top two teams in the PACWEST matched up last weekend with first place on the line.

Friday - VIU 48, Douglas 70

VIU's young roster looked as such on Friday as the Mariners suffered their second loss of the season in a game they needed to win to keep pace in a competitive PACWEST.

An early pair of free throws gave the Royals a lead they would cherish for the rest of the evening. Both teams performed evenly throughout the game, but Douglas' hot start let them keep the Mariners at arms' length.

Though the Mariners went into the final quarter down by only eleven, their anemic offense dragged them down once again, and this time, there was no Trista Thorn to save them. VIU shot a combined 26.9% from the field.

Mariners fans shouldn't be scared. This was a reality check for the conference's youngest roster, and the early struggles of both Okanagan and Langara all but ensure a playoff spot for the Mariners. Douglas has proven countless times that they can roll with the country's elite, and another loss for VIU was inevitable.

Mackenzie Dalphond led the way for the Royals, posting a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double. Reigning PACWEST DPOY Lauren Clements was stellar as well, scoring 15 points.

VIU's highest scorer was Sammy Shields, who tacked 12 on the board. Unfortunately, no other Mariner scored more than seven.

Saturday - VIU 62, Douglas 48

That's more like it.

At first, things looked grim. A three from Lauren Clements just five seconds in set the stage for what looked like a repeat of last night's trouncing, but VIU ended the quarter on a 9-0 run to take a four-point lead into the second, and a seven-point lead into the half.

It was all VIU in the third quarter. The Royals only mustered 10 points to VIU's 19, which game them enough of a cushion to cruise to a much-needed bounce back win.

Tony Bryce got to witness a game's worth of teach tape with how strong VIU's defense was, especially down the stretch. Though VIU's offense remains a question mark at this point in the season, their defense is strong enough to keep them in games against the conference's elite.

Trista Thorn and Sammy Shields recorded 11 points and 4 rebounds each, while Kiayra Hohlweg and Sarah Cook combined for 17 boards. Mackenzie Dalphond once again led the Royals in scoring with 14 points.

Now tied with Douglas atop the PACWEST, the Mariners return home next week for a crucial matchup with the Capilano Blues.

Men's Weekend Recap: Game of the Year?

On the first two days after Halloween, the Mariners and Falcons created a thriller not seen this side of Robert Enright.

There's no better set of games I'd return to the booth for.

Saturday - VIU 100, Langara 88 (OT)

I don't care what you have to say about any game that comes after this.

This was the game of the year.

Game of the decade, even.

At first, things looked bleak for VIU. Aaron Ungprasert, a former VIU commit, nailed four straight shots to put Langara up 10-2, but timely shooting from Kye Kotapski-Tinga and Ryan Bastian got the Mariners back into the contest. A pair of layups from Kye put VIU up 16-10 early in the first quarter, but the Falcons responded immediately. A pair of and-one layups, including a demoralizing dunk from Nixon Owusu, took the lead away from VIU.

The Mariners wouldn't hold the lead for the rest of the half.

A late three from Patrick Robinson put Langara up 26-16 before the second quarter. Counting an early layup from Ehi Obetoh, the Falcons were on an 18-0 run against the last undefeated team in the PACWEST.

The Mariners and Falcons traded layups across the next minute before a Joaquin Bautista free throw increased the Langara lead to 14.

Markus Modrovic spearheaded a run for the Mariners that saw them slowly chip away at the lead, chipping it to a one-point deficit in the waning stages of the half, but a three from Keito Kusaki gave the Falcons a four-point cushion heading into halftime.

The Mariners came into the third quarter with enough firepower to power a small city. A trio of Kotapski-Tinga layups gave the Mariners their first lead since the first quarter. Kye dueled with Ungprasert throughout the fledgling stages of the quarter as both teams traded the lead.

A pair of layups from Ekman Sohal and Kai Leighton, as well as two free throws from Winston Cole, provided extra support for Kye's career day as the VIU lead grew to as high as 12. The Falcons refused to go down without a fight and put the game back within three with one quarter left to play.

Joaquin Bautista restored the lead for Langara, but they couldn't hold on for long. Another demoralizing three from Kotapski-Tinga seemed to put the game away, but four combined points from James Zongo put the Falcons up by two with 92 seconds left.

Despite fouling Kai Leighton, the Falcons could rest easy. Leighton only made one of his free throws, and the shot clock was off.

Start the bus.

Turn out the lights.

All Luka Subotic had to do was pass to Patrick Robinson in front of the scorer's table and let the clock run out.

Robinson never grabbed it.

Mariners ball.

It's not over yet.

After an inbound pass from Levi Van Egdom, Kai Leighton found a wide open Ryan Bastian who drilled a three to send the crowd into a frenzy.

Ryan Bastian.

In the eleventh hour.

Timeout, Langara.

Can you believe it?

The Falcons can.

After a missed shot from Ungprasert to win the game, Luka Subotic grabbed the rebound and nailed a buzzer-beating jump shot to tie the game at 85 and force overtime.

It's not over yet.

At least, it wasn't for roughly a minute.

Levi Van Egdom got the party started with a pair of threes, and the Mariners never trailed again. Langara only managed one meaningful point, a Nixon Owusu free throw, but unfortunately ran out of gas as the Mariners put the finishing touches on a night that VIU will not soon forget.

Kye Kotapski-Tinga had the game of his life, scoring a career-high 38(!) points on 16-24 shooting. Ryan Bastian followed close behind with 18 points, including a crucial three in the final seconds. Breandan McLaughlin even made a return to the lineup, though he would only record one foul.

Langara's leading scorer was Aaron Ungprasert, who scored 24 points against the same team that recruited him in 2021. Ed Asirit added 11 of his own, while James Zongo added eight off the bench before he fouled out.

Sunday - VIU 88, Langara 61

After last night's overtime thriller, any game trying to top it would face a tall task.

Instead, the home crowd was treated to a relaxing, box-standard victory.

Much like their sisters in arms, the Mariners wasted no time establishing the pecking order. A pair of James Zongo free throws gave Langara an 8-6 lead halfway through the first quarter, but the Falcons would never lead after that. Every starter for VIU recorded at least 12 points, including Kye Kotapski-Tinga with a game-high 18.

Breandan McLaughlin scored his first points in over a calendar year, dropping five points and five rebounds.

The Mariners head back to the Lower Mainland next week to take on the Douglas Royals, before returning home the following week for a crucial tilt with the Capilano Blues.

Women's Weekend Recap: Home Sweep Home

One week removed from their first loss of the season, the Mariners returned home looking to get back on track.

Saturday - VIU 68, Langara 44

Sometimes, all you need is a hot start.

The Mariners came flying out of the gate on Saturday, racing out to a 31-6 lead after only a quarter and a 51-13 lead at the half. Under normal circumstances, the game would already be over.

Unfortunately, the Mariners eased off at the half.

The Falcons slowly chipped away at the deficit thanks to timely shooting and costly turnovers. The Mariners only managed 17 more points for the rest of the game, but they had enough of a cushion to cruise to a victory, albeit an unconvincing one.

Kaia Simpson led all scorers with 12 off the bench, while Kiayra Hohlweg recorded a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double. Nadia Singh led the Falcons with 10 points, but no other Falcon reached double digits.

Sunday - VIU 62, Langara 50

This was an ugly game. Both teams shot a combined 36-123 as neither side could get their offense going. The Mariners were able to scrape by thanks to Trista Thorn's game-high 27 points. Most of those came from her 13 free throw attempts, which equaled the entire Falcons roster that game.

Nadia Singh once again led the way for Langara, but couldn't carry an anemic Falcons offense that went 5-25 from the three-point line.

The Mariners are back on the road next week, heading up to New Westminster for a crucial set with the Douglas Royals.