Royals Comeback In Thrilling Fashion

By Eric Thompson

The Capilano Blues led by as many as 14 points in the first 2018-19 PACWEST Men’s Basketball semifinal, but an incredible second-half comeback from the hosts earned Douglas College a place in the gold-medal game.

Capilano dominated in the game’s opening, going 14-3 to start the quarter as Thursday’s Player of the Game Brenden Bailey put up 7 points in just over three minutes. An and-1 dunk from EJ Christie gave the Royals some much-needed energy and electrified the hometown crowd, allowing them to get back into the game, but the hosts still trailed 29-19 after 10 minutes.

Douglas had a much stronger second quarter, as Josiah Mastandrea and Dylan Kinley hit back-to-back threes to start off the scoring for the Royals, and Taylor Smith added another triple in response to a Denver Sparks-Guest layup. Douglas ended the quarter on a 9-2 run to cut the Blues’ lead to 5 points at halftime.

Sensing the makings of a comeback, the student section rose to their feet for the entire third quarter, and the players responded. With less than five minutes to go in the frame, Dylan Kinley took over the game, hitting a free throw to cut the Capilano lead to two, tying the game with a layup, and giving the Royals their first lead of the game with a three-point shot that sent the hometown crowd into a fervor. After Sparks-Guest was able to tie the game, Mastandrea hit another three to send the Royals into the fourth quarter with the lead.

The fourth quarter was all Douglas. Courtney Anderson and Mastandrea hit back-to-back threes to blow the doors off, and Dylan Kinley would add a three later in the frame to push the Royals lead to seven. With 30 seconds remaining, Tyrone Asenoguan picked off a Capilano pass and threw down an emphatic dunk to seal the Royals win.

Players of the game were Courtney Anderson of Douglas and Denver Sparks-Guest of Capilano. Sparks-Guest had 22 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists, while Anderson put up 26 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

Following the game Ryan Watters spoke with Royals' head coach Joe Enevoldson