A 2017 Rematch For Gold

#3 Capilano Blues @ #1 VIU Mariners – Saturday March 5, 8:00pm | WATCH HERE

The final game of the PACWEST basketball championship is a battle for gold when the Mariners and Blues meet for the first time since 2017.

The undefeated Mariners got by the Langara Falcons last night in their semi-final 98-80 in a very physical affair.  They shot 47.7% from the field led by their point guard Tori Odom’s game high 28 points and Cameron Gay’s 24.  They have faced the Blues three times this year and have beaten them each time by an average of 14 points shooting 49.4%.  The PACWEST Player of the Year Akoi Yuot averaged 18.6 points in the seasonal series as did Tori Odom.  Richard Henderson added 15.6 points a game and will be meeting the Blues for the first time since the end of January.

On Friday afternoon the Blues upset the second seeded Camosun Chargers 82-74 shooting 40.8% led by Martin Bogajev’s 21 points and Tyrone Asenoguan’s 19.  As they come into the gold medal game, they will draw on their experience from the seasonal series where they shot 36%.  Asenoguan was the Blues’ top scorer against the Mariners averaging 17.3 points a game.

The Mariners are making their 12^th straight trip to the title game and have won five golds. The Blues haven’t won gold since 2003 and are back in the championship game for the first time since 2017 when they also faced the Mariners.

Regardless of the outcome both teams are booking flights to Toronto for the CCAA national championship at Humber College at the end of March.

Head-to-Head

Records: Blues 10-6 – Mariners 17-0
Average Points For: Blues 92 – Mariners 99.3
Average Points Allowed: Blues 84 – Mariners 77.5
Field Goal %: Blues 44.2% - Mariners 50.3%

Leading Scorers: Tyrone Asenoguan – 16.1/game (Blues) – Akoi Yuot – 22.3/game (Mariners)

Leading Rebounders: Tyrone Asenoguan – 6.1/game (Blues) – Akot Yuot – 9.6/games (Mariners)