If the Camosun Chargers basketball teams need any inspiration heading into the Pacwest provincial championships at Capilano University in North Vancouver, they need look no further than the College of the Rockies Avalanche.
The Avalanche pulled off an amazing run in the Pacwest women鈥檚 volleyball provincial championship last week, knocking off the top three seeds to claim a title.
Like the Avalanche, the Chargers men and women are both seeded No. 6 in the six-team field.
The Camosun women will face host and No. 3-seed Capilano in their opener tonight at 6 in a rematch of last year鈥檚 quarter-final, which the Chargers won by four.
鈥淲e feel we are well prepared for the playoffs and I anticipate another very exciting game,鈥� said Chargers coach Carl Macdonald. 鈥淐apilano has several players who are solid two-way players, led by Michelle Errico and Karyn Neilson.
鈥淥ur co-captains, Kathryn Candell and Kelly Young, are also very skilled and fans will be shown a fantastic display of teamwork and individual play that rivals the quality players at any level of basketball.鈥�
Candell, a second-year guard from Pacific Christian, led the Pacwest in points per game and was eighth in assists. Young, an Oak Bay grad, was fifth in points and second in rebounds.
The No. 4 Quest Kermodes face the No. 5 Langara Falcons in the other quarter-final. The No. 1 Vancouver Island University Mariners and No. 2 Douglas Royals have byes to the semifinals set for Friday at 1 and 6 p.m.
On the men鈥檚 side, Camosun plays the No. 3 Langara College Falcons.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very well prepared,鈥� said Chargers coach Scot Cuachon. 鈥淲e鈥檝e spent much of the second semester tweaking and adding to what we鈥檙e doing. I think we鈥檙e in a good mindset and eager to play. The quarter-final with Langara should make for a fun game. In the end, it will come down to who plays harder and who executes better. Hopefully, we pull it off and move into the next round, but for now, it鈥檚 all about Langara.鈥�
The men will tip off at 3 p.m. No. 4 Capilano meets No. 5 Douglas at 8 p.m., with No. 1 VIU (which went undefeated in regular-season play at 21-0) and No. 2 Quest waiting in Friday鈥檚 semifinals.
Camosun鈥檚 men finished the season at 8-15, while the women鈥檚 record was 7-16.
All games will be streamed live on Pacwest.tv.
LAST SPIKES: The Camosun men鈥檚 volleyball team won its second straight Pacwest championship last weekend, requiring five sets in a spectacular come-from-behind 26-28, 20-25, 25-20, 25-21, 15-12 victories over Douglas College late Saturday night. Both teams will compete in nationals beginning March 10 at Douglas.
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