Brent Mutis, CapU Sport Info & Compliance Officer
A sometimes frantic, scrambly affair between the Langara College Falcons and the host Capilano University Blues went the way of the visiting side in a 62-58 final Saturday at the Centre for Sport and Wellness.
Both teams employed a full-court press early on and each side struggled to handle the pressure with numerous turnovers both ways. Passes up the floor frequently led to collisions and the multiple foul calls prevented the development of much game rhythm. Blues veteran Alanya Davignon (interview audio below) was particularly disruptive, breaking up several Falcons plays in the early going.
Langara's Julia Sprott found some success amid the chaos and scored nine of her 11 first-half points in the opening quarter. Teigan Manson came off the bench and provided some skill the Blues desperately needed as she hit a pair of threes in the second quarter yet the war on the floor saw the Falcons and Blues each barely crack 20 points at half time as the visitors went into the break with a 23-21 lead.
The third quarter remained largely disorganized but Sprott continued her fine night adding seven more points on her way to a game-high 21. Langara took a three-point lead to the fourth quarter which at last saw some flow and scoring both ways. Each team scored more points in the final frame than they did in the first half but it was the Falcons backcourt duo of Claire Huang and Davian Tsang combining for 15 points down the stretch to seal it for their side.
WBB | The Blues steal the ball and tie it up 51-51 late in the fourth quarter against the visiting @LangaraFalcons! #GoBlues pic.twitter.com/UElFaJJzTy
— Capilano University Blues (@CapilanoBlues) November 20, 2022
Mackenzie Smith fashioned a double-double for CapU with 10 points and 11 rebounds while Kirsten Abo led the Blues with 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting including two from downtown. Manson filled the stat sheet with 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
A spate of early injuries this season saw the Blues without 2022 PACWEST All-Star Ida Jonsson-Ojala on Saturday as well as forward Emma Jones and guard Camie Ward. They will be joined on the sidelines by Jenna Griffin, also a 2022 conference All-Star, as she appeared to suffer a serious injury to her leg late in the game against Langara.
The PACWEST schedule has the Blues on the road for their next two games starting with a trip to Vancouver Island University for a 5 p.m. tip off on Friday, Nov. 25. Then, Capilano is at Columbia Bible College for a 6 p.m. start on Saturday, Nov. 26.
