Mariners Advance

VIU Mariners 77
CBC Bearcats 63

The VIU Mariners punched their ticket to their 16^th PACWEST gold medal game after beating the CBC Bearcats in a men’s semi-final on Friday afternoon.

It was a physical matchup, particularly in the paint early on as both teams tried to set the tone. Due to the physical defensive style in this game, both teams didn’t shoot the ball well.  The Mariners finished shooting 39.7% and were 12 of 36 from the three-point arch.  Kameron Bender led all scorers with 20 points and was named Player of the Game while Kaeleb Johnson added 15 points and 10 rebounds while Max D’Amato added 11.

The Bearcats had to battle for every shot and rarely got an easy look at the hoop and finished shooting 28%.   Spencer Dododza was hampered by foul trouble early on and spent most of the first half on the bench.  Cam Carter was outstanding running the point and was named their Player of the Game with 12 points and 12 rebounds.  Favour Igbinyemi played tough on the post and finished with 11 points.  

The Mariners will play for gold on Saturday night at 8:00pm while the Bearcats will try for their second PACWEST medal in school history when they play for bronze on Saturday at 3:00pm.