WBB Provincial Championship Preview

The final six women's teams are ready to make a run at Provincial GOLD.  Here is a closer look at the teams that will open the Championship beginning on Thursday.

#1 VIU Mariners

The Mariners are back in the post season as the #1 seed for the first time since the 2014 Provincial tournament.  The Mariners have won the Provincial Bronze medal in the last two seasons after begin upset by the Douglas Royals in the semi-final.  Their last gold came back in 2013 when they entered the championship tournament as the #2 seed.

PACWEST Record: 19-2
Home – 9-1, Road 10-1

Player to Watch:

Sienna Pollard: She started all 21 games for the Mariners and finished second in the Conference in scoring, averaging 18.1 points a game.  She shot 47% from the field, scoring a team high 151 field goals.  Defensively she was third in the Conference in rebounding averaging 9.5 boards a game and led her team with 24 blocked shots.

Lanae Adams: She along with Pollard made a deadly 1-2 punch during the regular season.  Adams scored 15.9 points a game shooting 36% from the field.  She connected on 34-three pointers, shooting an impressive 35% from downtown.  She also led the PACWEST in assists, averaging over four a game.

Sara Simovic:  She led the Mariners with 40-three pointers and shot 32% from the field.  She averaged 12.7 points a game and was fifth in the Conference with 3.4 assists.  Like Pollard and Adams, Simovic started all 21 games this season.

Longest Conference winning streak: Winners of nine straight games from November 13 – January 22.

Last FIVE Playoff Games
2015 – PACWEST Bronze Medal Game – Won – 57-41 Camosun Chargers
2015 – PACWEST Semi-Final – Loss – 62-57 Douglas Royals
2014 – PACWEST Bronze Medal Game – Won – 51-43 Camosun Chargers
2014 - PACWEST Semi-Final – Loss – 50-47 Douglas Royals
2013 – PACWEST Gold Medal Game – Won – 65-55 Capilano Blues

2015-2016 Record at Capilano University (site of the Provincial championships):
November 7th – 59-60 (Loss)
February 12th – 57-45 (Win)

#2 Douglas Royals

The Royals were ranked #1 in the Conference for the majority of the season, but a loss to VIU on February 13 knocked them into #2.    Last season they were the third seed heading into the Provincial tournament and finished with a silver medal.  As a matter of fact the Royals have medaled at the last three tournaments.

PACWEST Record: 18-3
Home – 8-3, Road 10-0

Players to Watch:

Rachel Beauchamp: She was the Royals leading scorer in the regular season, averaging 12.4 a game shooting 49% from the field.  She was named the Athlete of the Week in Week 3.

Nanaya Miki:   She was simply solid during the regular campaign averaging 11.6 points a game and shooting 40% from the field.  She was a threat from the three-point line as well, draining 19 of them.  She was named the Athlete of the Week in Week 7 of the season.

Gursimran Bir: She started 17 of the 21 regular season games in 2015-2016 and shot 36% from the field averaging 11 points a game.  She was also very good defensively making 25 steals and made seven blocks.

Longest Conference winning streak: The Royals had a Conference high 15 straight wins that stretched from November 7 – February 12.

Last FIVE Playoff Games
2015 – PACWEST Gold Medal Game – Loss – 76-48 Quest Kermodes
2015 – PACWEST Semi-Final – Won – 62-57 VIU Mariners
2015 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Won – 66-58 KPU Eagles
2014 – PACWEST Gold Medal Game – Loss – 69-52 Quest Kermodes
2014 – PACWEST Semi-Final – Won – 50-47 VIU Mariners

2015-2016 Record at Capilano University (site of the Provincial championships):
November 6th – 64-77 (Loss)
February 13th – 73-76 (Loss)

#3 Capilano Blues

The Blues are looking to get back to the Gold Medal game for the first time since 2013.  In their last two playoff appearances, they have lost in the quarterfinal.  This year they’ll face the Camosun Chargers who upset them last year.

PACWEST Record: 15-6
Home – 9-3, Road 6-3

Players to Watch:

Michelle Errico: One of the best all around players in the Conference.  She led her club scoring 14 points a game, shooting 37% from the field and started all 21 games this season.   She also led her club with an impressive 58-three pointers, shooting 37% from behind the arc.  Defensively she made 24 steals.

Carmelle M’Bikata: Primarily used off the bench, she started just two of the Blues’ 21 games during the season and averaged 12.7 points a game shooting 54% from the field.  She is a sparkplug off the bench and will need to be sharp for the Blues to have success.

Karyn Nelson:  The Blues will need her defence in the Provincials after she recorded 25 steals and averaged six rebounds each game.  She shot 41% from the field and averaged 7.6 points a game.

Longest Conference winning streak: They won five straight from November 6 – November 10, a streak that was started by beating the Camosun Chargers, a team they will see in the quarterfinals.

Last FIVE Playoff Games
2015 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Loss – 68-64 Camosun Chargers
2014 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Loss – 82-58 Douglas Royals
2013 – PACWEST Gold Medal Game – Loss – 65-55 VIU Mariners
2013 – PACWEST Semi-Final – Won – 75-57 KPU Eagles
2012 – PACWEST Bronze Medal  Game – Won – 75-52 Camosun Chargers

#4 Quest Kermodes

The two-time defending champion Kermodes enter this year’s Provincials as the fourth seed and will play in a quarterfinal for the first time since the 2014 season.  They enter the Provincials playing their best basketball winning five of their last six including a three point win over Langara, a team they will face in Thursday’s quarterfinal.

PACWEST Record: 11-10
Home – 6-4, Road 5-6

Players to Watch:

Miriam Baumann: She was force during the regular season averaging a double-double each game with 15.1 points and a Conference high 13 boards a contest.  She finished the season with 75 more rebounds than the next PACWEST player and led her team with four assists a game.  The Montreal native shot 43% from the field and a team high 30% from downtown.

Jordin Wilkinson: She was the team’s second leading scorer despite shooting 28% from the field.  She averaged 13.9 points a game and three assists.  Defensively she was second on the team with 30 steals but did commit 99 turnovers.

Emily Lachenmayer: She doesn’t score a lot of points, averaging just six points a game, however it’s her presence defensively that the Kermodes are hoping will be to their advantage.  Lachenmayer blocked 15 shots this season and has collected 22 steals.

Longest Conference winning streak: They had a pair of three game win streaks.  From October 29-November 7 and from February 6-12.

Last FIVE Playoff Games
2015 – CCAA National Bronze Semi-Final – Loss – 72-60 Humber Hawks
2015 – CCAA National Bronze Quarterfinal – Win – 52-41 VIU Mariners
2015 – CCAA National Quarterfinal – Loss – 85-52 Lethbridge Kodiaks
2015 – PACWEST Gold Medal Game – Win – 76-48 Douglas Royals
2015 – PACWEST Semi-Final – Win – 59-56 Camosun Chargers

2015-2016 Record at Capilano University (site of the Provincial championships):
November 14th – 58-64 (Loss)
February 18th – 52-78 (Loss)

#5 Langara Falcons

The Falcons are back in the Provincial championship for the first time since 2011, when they fell in the quarterfinals.  That season they were the #6 seed.  They enter this year’s tournament on a three game road losing streak, including a three point loss last weekend at Quest, their quarterfinal opponent.

PACWEST Record: 8-13
Home – 5-4, Road – 3-9

Players to Watch:

Jilliane Vina: She was the Falcons leading scorer dropping in 8.9 points a game.  She shot 34% from the field leading her team with 69 buckets.   She also led her team with 37 assists.

Carly Sangha: She shot 33% from the field during the regular season and scored 6.6 points a game.  She led her club with 49 assists and 41 steals. The Falcons will rely on her defensively in their quarterfinal match up with Quest.

Helen Wilson: She recorded 59 hoops and shot 41% during the regular season. She started all 21 games for the Falcons and scored 6.9 points a game.

Longest Conference winning streak: The Falcons had a pair of two game win streaks, sweeping the November 6-7 weekend and the February 12-13th weekend.

Last FIVE Playoff Games
2011 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Loss – 90-57 UBC Okanagan Heat
2009 – PACWEST Bronze Medal Game – Win – 65-55 Capilano Blues
2009 – PACWEST Semi-Final – Loss – 76-49 Camosun Chargers
2009 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Win – 58-47 VIU Mariners
2008 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Loss – 47-31 UBC Okanagan

2015-2016 Record at Capilano University (site of the Provincial championships):
November 13th – 37-66 (Loss)
February 20th – 51-64 (Loss)

#6 Camosun Chargers

The Chargers limp into the Provincial championships losing eight of their last 10 games.   Last season the Chargers lost in the bronze medal game after an upset win in the quarterfinal.  As a matter of fact they have lost in the bronze medal game three of the last four seasons.

PACWEST Record: 7-14
Home – 2-7, Road – 5-7

Players to Watch:

Kathryn Candell: She was the Conference’s leading scorer, averaging 18.3 points a game and shot 39% from the field.  She started all 21 games for the Chargers and averaged 35 minutes each game.  She also led here club with 33-three pointers shooting 32% from downtown and 54 assists.

Kelly Young: She finished fifth in scoring averaging 14.9 points a game and shot 39% from the field.  She also finished second in the Conference with 9.76 rebounds a game and was one of only three players with over 200 rebounds during the season.  She logged a team high 36.3 minutes a game.

Rachel Bakker: She had the team’s highest shooting percentage hitting 49% from the field and scored 7.8 points a game.

Longest Conference winning streak: Winners of four in a row from January 8-16 which included two road wins at Langara and Quest.

Last FIVE Playoff Games
2015 – PACWEST Bronze Medal Game – Loss – 57-44 VIU Mariners
2015 – PACWEST Semi-Final – Loss – 59-56 Quest Kermodes
2015 – PACWEST Quarterfinal – Win – 68-64 Capilano Blues
2014 – PACWEST Bronze Medal Game – Loss – 51-43 VIU Mariners
2014 – PACWEST Semi-Final – Loss – 82-62 Quest Kermodes

2015-2016 Record at Capilano University (site of the Provincial championships):
November 6th – 57-70 (Loss)
February 13th – 45-65 (Loss)