Vancouver Island University teams each won once, but the Mariners men came out on the wrong end of the weekend’s main event.
VIU’s men’s basketball team lost 73-67 to the nation’s top-ranked Langara Falcons on Saturday at the Vancouver Island University gym.
The day before, the M’s beat the Douglas Royals 72-39.
In women’s action on the weekend, the Mariners started with a 63-45 loss to the Royals but won convincingly the next day over the Falcons, 82-40.
Saturday’s loss marked the second time in the Pacific Western Athletic Association season that the Mariners men (8-3) have lost by six to the Falcons (11-0). The M’s were building a lead in the second quarter before they had a lapse late in the half.
Even though VIU ended up losing by six, some of that margin was from free throws in the dying seconds and the game might have been even closer. M’s coach Matt Kuzminski said his team had a couple of chances to hit game-tying shots.
“We played really hard and we played a decent game,” he said. “Just down the stretch, again, we kind of weren’t able to execute when the game was close; the ball kind of stopped moving. We still had our chances.”
Brandon Jones scored 19 points and Clayton Billett added 14.
The previous day Tyler Olsen led the Mariners with 16 points and 17 rebounds, while Jones had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Leading the VIU women’s team (6-5) to victory on Saturday was Jocelyn Jones, who scored 23 points, pulled down nine rebounds and dished seven assists. Heather McCarthy and Jenna Carver scored 13 points apiece.
Shayna Worthington’s 10 point led VIU in Friday’s setback.
GAME ON … The VIU basketball teams continue their homestand this Friday (Jan. 18) and Saturday with games against the Quest Kermodes and Capilano Blues, respectively. On Friday the women’s game is at 6 p.m. followed by men’s action at 8 p.m.; Saturday’s tipoff times are 1 p.m. for the women and 3 p.m. for the men.
