The Golden Game

#1 VIU Mariners vs #2 CBC Bearcats – Saturday March 1, 5:30pm | WATCH HERE

The top two teams in women’s PACWEST basketball will meet for the Conference gold medal when the Mariners face the Bearcats on Saturday night.

Both teams were victorious on Friday in their semi-final matchups.  The Mariners took down the host Capilano Blues by 14-points shooting 38% and they were led by Harriette Mackenzie who finished with a double double of 23 points and 14 rebounds.  Guard Makayla Kimble was also a big factor hitting 14 points and knocking down a pair of three pointers.

The Bearcats captured their first ever PACWEST playoff win on Friday with a seven-point semi-final victory.  They didn’t shoot the ball particularly well at 25% but made key defensive stops down the stretch to secure the win. The PACWEST Player of the Year Elissa Vreugdenhil scored 18 points and snagged 14 rebounds to pace her club guiding them to the championship game where they are guaranteed to win their first ever PACWEST medal.

During the regular season, these two teams met twice with the Mariners winning both at VIU.

Regardless of the outcome on Saturday, these two teams will represent the PACWEST at the CCAA national championship tournament in New Brunswick in two weeks.  One will be the Conference champion, while the other will be a wildcard and arguably have a tougher draw at the tournament.

These two programs have never met in the PACWEST playoffs.