The Mariners have a lot to thank Langara for after defeating the Royals last week. So much so, in fact, that they flew to Vancouver to personally thank the Falcons themselves.
Friday - VIU 49, Langara 66
Imaan Lali's PACWEST debut certainly could've gone a lot better.
The first quarter looked grim for VIU. They trailed by as much as thirteen, but a late layup from Kiayra Hohlweg cut the deficit to eleven. They went the whole quarter without hitting a single three, only converting four of their seventeen shots.
Sammy Shields hit a three early in the second quarter, but couldn't muster much else against Langara's full court press. Neither team shot the ball particularly well for most of the quarter, but the Mariners started to heat up in the second half. It wasn't enough to tie the game or take the lead, but being down by three after the first half is easier to stomach than being down by thirteen.
Both teams went over half the third quarter without scoring points, but a Nadia Singh midrange put the Falcons up five. A 14-4 run by Langara added insult to a slew of VIU miscues, including a technical foul and eight unforced turnovers.
Down by nine going into the fourth, the Mariners ran out of gas and suffered their third loss of the season in a game they desperately needed to win.
Reegan Bond led all scorers with 13 points, while adding nine rebounds and an assist. Avaani Pagely and Nadia Singh added 12 points each, while Katelyn Lafleur led the game in steals with three.
VIU's leading scorer was Kaia Simpson, who finished with eight points. This game marks the first time that VIU hasn't had a single double-digit scorer this season.
Saturday - VIU 49, Langara 46
This game had no right being as close as it was. Due to IT difficulties on Langara's campus, the game wasn't even streamed.
The Mariners grabbed their first lead of the weekend early in the first quarter, but the Falcons tied it up at the half thanks to strong defense and VIU leaving their shooting form in Nanaimo.
Langara began to pull away in the third quarter, but VIU rubberbanded to take a one point lead with one quarter to play. Though they started strong, the Falcons slowly chipped away at the lead. A late missed shot and foul sent Kiayra Hohlweg to the line with three seconds left with the Mariners up by three, where she could put the game in the box.
She missed both shots.
Out of the timeout, Nyssa Sunner had a chance to force overtime, but missed as time expired, vindicating Hohlweg's earlier mistake as the Mariners escape Vancouver with a split.
Hohlweg continues a trend of posting double-doubles in close games, dropping 13 points and 11 rebounds in the victory. Trista Thorn wasn't far behind with 11 points and seven rebounds, but no other Mariner eclipsed double digits.
Langara's offense was similarly frontloaded. Nadia Singh and Katelyn Lafleur combined for 21 points and 14 rebounds, while Reegan Bond added eight off the bench.
If VIU wants to repeat as PACWEST champions, they need to get their act together and fast. Langara showed that the Mariners are unprepared for full court pressure, which teams will undoubtedly zero in on when the playoffs roll around.
The Mariners still have two games in hand over Douglas, but they still have to win their remaining games. Capilano awaits them next week.
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