While the ladies have to wait another week to duel for the top seed, the men can wrap it up this weekend.
Friday - VIU 85, Camosun 98
The Mariners started the first quarter hot, taking an 11-point lead after the first five minutes. The Chargers responded with an 11-0 run to take a one-point lead into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, nearly the exact same thing happened. VIU again took a sizable lead, but the Chargers fought back with an 8-2 run. Both teams traded the lead back and forth in the late stages of the quarter before Kye Kotapski-Tinga tipped in a shot at the buzzer to give VIU a 45-43 lead at the half. It marks the first time this season that the Mariners have lead Camosun after the first two quarters.
The stalemate continued deep into the third quarter before both teams decided to, for lack of a better term, lock in. Neither team missed a single shot in a two-minute span, but that did little to break the tie.
Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Chargers finally pulled away, taking a 15-point lead. Though the Mariners shut down the Chargers offensively, their own offense went cold as they suffered their first loss since November, though 85 points being their definition of "cold" speaks volumes.
David Finch led all scorers with 25 points, sprinkling in five rebounds and four assists for good measure despite fouling out. Four other Chargers reached double figures, including Thomas Beames, who scored 12 points while converting all of his free throws, and Owen Jones, who added 11 points off the bench.
VIU's leading scorer was Winston Cole, who scored 16 points and shot 12-16 from the charity stripe. Keyonte Beals added 15 points on 6-10 shooting, but fouled out in the fourth quarter. Kai Leighton led the team in rebounds with seven.
Saturday - VIU 72, Camosun 75
What a game.
The first quarter was what we've come to expect between these two teams: Slow, yet exciting. Think of it like molasses laced with caffeine. A low-scoring first frame ended with the Mariners trailing by one.
The battle continued deep into the second and ended with VIU up by two after a Kai Leighton buzzer beater. The lead wouldn't last for long, but they took it back in the third, entering the final frame up by one.
In the fourth quarter, neither team pulled any punches. VIU held a slight advantage for parts, but with just under three and a half minutes to go, it remained tied.
An and-one jump shot from Tyler Synesael gave the Chargers the lead with 26 seconds left, but the Mariners cut it to one on their next possession, then intentionally fouled Synesael again.
He missed both shots.
The Mariners countered his mistake with one of their own, chucking the ball out of bounds.
Timeout Camosun.
Another intentional foul with 11.1 to go.
David Finch doesn't think twice.
One last chance for VIU.
Two missed shots.
Game over.
Camosun's first consecutive victories over VIU since 2006.
David Finch had another stellar game, scoring 19 points and pulling down six rebounds. Tyler Synesael did him one better with seven rebounds, while Cormick Brown and Cole Belton combined for 29 points.
Compared to last night, Keyonte Beals had a much stronger showing. He scored 25 points, the most by any player and added four assists, six rebounds, and a steal, all with only one foul to his name. Kai Leighton finished close behind, dropping an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double and shooting 50% from deep.
With their destiny no longer in their hands, the Mariners return home for a matchup with the Douglas Royals next week.
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