Island Rivalry Supremacy

#1 VIU Mariners vs. #2 Camosun Chargers – Saturday March 2, 8:00pm | WATCH HERE

They were the top teams over the course of the regular season and will now meet for PACWEST gold on Saturday night in an all-Island rivalry game.

The Mariners found a way to claim their semifinal victory over the Capilano Blues on Friday night in a rematch of last year’s gold medal game. The Mariners scored a 59-52 win shooting 37% using an 18-11 fourth quarter to seal the deal.   Peter Li led them offensively with 18 points in this defensive showdown.

With the victory the Mariners appear in their 15^th straight Conference title game and have won six golds.  The last time they were not in this gold medal game “No Country For Old Men” was the Best Picture at the Oscars.   It has been an incredible run for the Mariners.

During the regular season the Mariners beat the Chargers in three of their four meetings after they split their weekend at Camosun in mid-February.

The Chargers also won their semifinal on Friday beating the Langara Falcons 79-57 thanks to a 23-7 run in the fourth quarter.  Offensively they shot 48% from the field with all five starters reaching double figures.  Jesse Vogel was Player of the Game with 19 points and 10 rebounds.  Regardless of the outcome they will win their second straight PACWEST medal after winning bronze last year.

These two schools last met in the gold medal game in 2016 when the Mariners won 97-73.  That season they both went to nationals as well, traveling to Fort McMurry.  This season they both head to New Brunswick to represent the PACWEST.  The winner will be the Conference champion seed while the other will be a wildcard and arguably have a tougher schedule in two weeks.