After two wins on the road last weekend, the Kwantlen Eagles women’s basketball team can clinch a playoff berth on their home court tomorrow (Thursday) night.
The Eagles host the Langara Falcons at 6 p.m. at the Surrey Campus of Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Kwantlen, in sixth place, occupies the final playoff position in the PacWest league. At 6-8 (won-lost), they are two games up on the 4-10 Falcons with just two games to play.
The Eagles began last weekend by ending their five-game losing streak with a 68-53 win over the Douglas College Royals in New Westminster.
Samantha McPhail led Kwantlen with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Anna Work added 14 points and Holy Cross high school graduate Jessica Villadiego chipped in with 12.
Kwantlen dominated the opposition Saturday in Abbotsford, blowing away the Columbia Bible College Bearcats 83-43.
Two first year guards, Cassandra Micona with 18 points and Brittney Church with 17, led the Eagles in scoring. Carrie Snaychuk was the top rebounder with 10.
“Offensively, we have started to get better scoring chances as was seen in our game against Douglas College,” said Eagles head coach Dan Nayebzadeh. “We also did a good job of this against CBC, shooting 13-for-13 from the free throw line. If we continue to take good shots and get the high percentages, we will continue to have this type of success.”
Kwantlen’s men’s team also won both games last weekend to extend its win streak to four games, and with a 6-8 record, have climbed into sixth place.
Three rookies, all graduates of Surrey high schools, led the way in an 80-63 win over Douglas College Friday night, a game which lifted Kwantlen into a tie with the Royals for sixth place. Aaron Ram was the team’s high scorer with 21 points, followed by Gurpal Mann with 16. Anmoel Dhillson contributed 15 points.
“The game was very intense,” said head coach Stefon Wilson. “Rival games are what make varsity basketball exciting. I was proud of our players for using their emotions during the game in a positive way.”
The Eagles hit triple-digits for the first time this season Saturday in Abbotsford, overwhelming Columbia Bible College 102-81. Ali Bosir of Surrey, a third-year centre, netted 29 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Varinder Singh of North Delta scored 25 points and eight rebounds, with Ram tallying 19. Chris Arcangel added 15 points and seven assists.
While the women can clinch a playoff berth tonight, the men have a much more difficult challenge in holding on to sixth place. After tonight’s home game at 8 p.m. against a 7-5 Langara team, Kwantlen closes out league play by hosting the 10-2 University of Northern B.C. Timberwolves. Douglas has three games remaining, including contests with the 0-12 Quest Kermodes and the 1-12 Bearcats.
