Brent Mutis
CapU sport info
Answering some in-game adversity, the Capilano Blues used one dominant quarter both nights to defeat the host Douglas College Royals to improve to 4-2 in PACWEST play.
CapU overcame deficits in each game. They held the Royals to single-digit scoring in the fourth quarter Friday in a 63-58 win and did the same in the third quarter of Saturday's 57-50 victory.
Maybe the most dominant quarter of the season came in the first frame out of halftime on Saturday. The Blues held Douglas to just one field goal and one free throw in the third quarter to erase a four-point halftime shortfall and go ahead by eight heading to the fourth quarter.
Barcha Hnizdilova and Sereena Hothi each protected the rim with a block in the dominant defensive frame with Hnizdilova swiping a steal and Kirsten Abo swiping two.
Capilano didn't shoot the ball all that well themselves in the third but their defense was so stifling it didn't matter. Maddy Coffin secured six of her nine rebounds while Lauren Tomlinson scored two of her six on the night and handed out a pair of assists.
The Blues hit on just two of 17 attempts from three Saturday but held the Royals to 25 per cent shooting and 20 per cent from beyond the arc.
On Friday, it was a resounding fourth quarter that allowed CapU to earn the win as they outscored the Royals 22-6. The final quarter saw the Blues go from trailing by 11 after three quarters to securing a five-point triumph.
Camie Ward played big down the stretch for Capilano as she scored six of her seven points on the night in the fourth quarter. Abo and Coffin scored seven and six respectively over the final 10 minutes to help pull out the win.
Douglas had their best quarter of the weekend coming out of halftime to take a double-digit lead. Hnizdilova and Abo were the only players to score for CapU in the third but team defense in the fourth, evidenced by seven steals, helped shape the comeback.
The Blues have a bye next week and make a road trip to Okanagan College to take on the Coyotes on Nov. 17 and 18. The first game is a 6 p.m. start with tip off at 1 p.m. the next day.
