Brent Mutis
CapU Blues sports info
When Maddy Coffin decisively won the opening tipoff for the Capilano Blues Friday night against the visiting Columbia Bible College (CBC) Bearcats, it quickly illustrated a fundamental difference in the two teams' starting lineups.
The Blues were just flat out bigger.
CBC was missing their top forward Elissa Vreugdenhil and, in her absence, the Bearcats used a guard-oriented lineup. Capilano's size and length showed up in a major way on defence as they repeatedly stripped CBC of the ball during high-post handoffs and when they did get a shot up, the Blues pulled down everything on the defensive glass. They'd outrebound CBC 49-24 on the night.
Disrupting CBC's offensive sets early on allowed Capilano to get some quality touches near the basket for Lucia Lopez who scored six of her 14 points in the opening frame.
The second quarter was clunky owing to seven fouls assessed to the Blues, while CBC was given only one. Still, the Bearcats continued to lack a solution for the 6-foot-1 Lopez as she went 3-of-4 from the floor in the second quarter, helping Capilano to a 31-16 lead at the break.
Veteran forwards Coffin and Sereena Hothi keyed the Blues attack coming out of halftime as they combined for 14 points in the third quarter. Hothi finished her night with 11 points and 11 boards for her first double-double of the season.
Capilano increased its lead to 23 on a three from Lauren Tomlinson late in the third and finished the quarter on a high note as point guard Cassiel Penalosa held the ball for last shot and executed an impressive runner off the glass as the buzzer sounded.
After lengthy rehab stints, Sheleese Hoilett and Alexa Kusel featured in the Blues lineup Friday. For Hoilett, it was her first-ever game on the Blues' hardwood after missing last season and the start of this one. She grabbed four boards and handed out two assists while swiping two steals. Kusel reacquainted herself in her first game at CapU since Feb. 10, 2024 by hitting a pair of threes in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Capilano's depth was a factor throughout the game as all 12 players who dressed saw significant minutes, leading to 24 points off the bench, led by Tomlinson and Kusel with six apiece.
The Blues and Bearcats meet again Saturday in a 5 p.m. tipoff at CapU.
