Mariners Punch Golden Ticket

The VIU Mariners are back in the PACWEST gold medal game after a 59-45 victory over the fourth seeded Dougals Royals on Friday riding a very strong third quarter outscoring the Royals 22-5.

It was certainly not the most gifted offensive game as the defences had their way early on not allowing any easy buckets.  The Mariners finally broke out in the third quarter and over the course of the game shot 33.3% from the field. Shayce Johnston exploded in the third quarter to propel the top ranked team with eight points and was strong on the glass.  She finished with a game high 16 points and Ranika Guyton added 13 in the victory.

The Mariners will play for PACWEST gold on Saturday at 5:30pm when they meet the Okanagan Coyotes.  Both teams have already qualified for the CCAA national championship tournament.

The Royals struggled offensively all game shooting 34% and only Laini Glover reached the double-digit plateau when she scored 11.  Their best quarter was the fourth when they shot 53% and outscored the Mariners 16-10.  They will play for PACWEST bronze on Saturday at 12:30pm when they meet the Capilano Blues.

Players of the Game:

Mariners – Shayce Johnston
Royals – Laini Glover