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.
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