PACWEST Champs Open Nationals

VIU Mariners vs. St. Thomas Tommies – Wednesday March 18, 10:00am PST

The PACWEST champion Mariners draw the first game at the CCAA national championship in Quebec when they meet the ACAA champion Tommies from Fredericton on Wednesday afternoon. 

The Mariners are coming off a dominating performance in the PACWEST title game using red hot shooting and collapsing defence to pave the way to the gold medal.  Including the playoffs they have won 23 games this year and have won 11 straight.   They are a well-balanced team on the offensive side and will give their opponents plenty of problems on the defensive side.

They will meet a Tommies team that lost the first game of the season, then have rattled off 19 straight wins, including a pair in their playoff tournament, then scored a lopsided win over MSVU 63-46 for gold. They will no doubt press the Mariners on the defensive side trying to create turnovers as a hallmark to their season.  They are quick to the ball and can trap the ball handlers if they aren’t careful, holding teams to 47 points a game.   On the offensive side Charlee Connors leads them with 14.5 points a game.  As a team they shoot 35% and score over 68-points each contest.

These two schools have never met at the national championship tournament in women’s basketball.  The winner advances to the semifinal while the loser moves over the bronze medal side of the bracket.