Although they were the last team to qualify for the provincial playoffs, the KPU (Kwantlen Polytechnic University) Eagles go into the postseason on a bit of a roll.
The PACWEST (Pacific Western Athletic Association) women’s basketball team won both games in the final week of play, improved their won-loss record to 7-14, and have now won three of their last five outings.
KPU defeated the Douglas College Royals 52-48 last Thursday night in New Westminster for their first win of the season over their first-round playoff opponent.
Down 23-18 at the half, the Eagles outscored Douglas by nine points over the final 20 minutes for the win in a game that saw five lead changes.
Samantha McPhail led the KPU attack with 16 points and 10 rebounds, with Shilpa Khanna tallying 10 points.
Saturday night in Vancouver, McPhail added her second double double of the weekend, scoring 15 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in a 64-53 victory over the Langara Falcons.
Amber-Lee Kavanagh was the top Kwantlen scorer with 16 points, and added seven rebounds.
KPU, which will play Douglas at 1 p.m. today at the PACWEST provincial tournament in Abbotsford, placed three players among the league leaders.
Khanna, a graduate of Fleetwood Park Secondary, averaged 15.9 points per game to place third among scorers, while Jessica Villadiego of Holy Cross Regional High School was third in assists with 3.71 per game.
Khanna was selected to the PACWEST second all-star team.
McPhail was ranked fourth among rebounders with a 9.65 per game average.
For the KPU men, their season ended with two more losses which left them tied for the PACWEST basement at 2-19.
On Thursday, the Eagles were thumped 111-71 by the Douglas Royals. The home side led all the way, and had leads of five, 13 and 32 points at the quarter breaks.
Spencer Maichin of North Delta with 16 points, Brenden Bailey with 14, Matt Cooley with 13 and Delview Secondary graduate Jaiten Rana with 11 were the offensive leaders for KPU.
Cooley, with 17 rebounds, achieved the double double.
Against the Langara Falcons Saturday in Vancouver, the Eagles trailed by 16 after just 10 minutes of play and were down by 26 at the half.
Cooley, from North Delta, netted 22 points with Bailey adding 19 and Rana netting 14. Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary graduate Nick Smith also scored in double digits, tallying 10 points.
Cooley finished the regular season as the top rebounder in the league, averaging 9.7 per game. He was named to the PACWEST all-rookie team.
