The Douglas College Royals turned a wait-and-see approach into a pair of solid wins on their weekend trip to the Island.
The No. 10-nationally ranked men’s basketball team started slow but put together strong rallies on both Friday and Saturday to sweep the Camosun College Chargers, maintaining their hold on second place in the PacWest league.
On Friday, Douglas fell behind 28-19 before exploding with a 26-6 run in the second quarter to go ahead 45-34 at the half. Josiah Mastandrea counted 10 points, including two treys, in just 1:30 to make it a one-point game, while Courtney Anderson converted a steal into a successful jump shot with just over five minutes left in the half to give the Royals a lead they'd hold the rest of the night.
Anderson finished with a team-high 23 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and five steals, while Mastandrea ended up with 19 points. Tyrone Asenoguan came off the bench to score 17 points and New West’s Sylvester Appiah added 14 points.
A day later, it was a 10-point gulf after 10 minutes, but the visitors closed to within four by halftime. In the third quarter, the Royals outscored Camosun 26-12 and entered the final quarter up by 10.
Asenoguan led the squad with 14 points, while Anderson and Mastandrea chipped in 13 apiece. Supplying 11 points each were Shane Toporowski and Appiah, while three others tallied nine points as the team posted a 49 per cent success rate from the field.
At 8-4, Douglas trails just first place Vancouver Island, who are 11-1 and ranked fifth in the nation.
The Royals host Okanagan College for a pair of games, Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m., both at the New West campus.
CHARGERS CAST CHILL ON ROYAL SHOOTERS
Freedom 55 it wasn't.
The Douglas College women’s basketball team ran aground against a tough Camosun College rival, dropping both games in Victoria to fall into a two-way tie for fourth place in PacWest league play.
On both nights, the usually steady Royals offence managed just 55 points against an aggressive Camosun side.
The host Chargers erupted for 33 points in the second quarter of Friday's contest to bust open a one-point game en route to a 76-55 decision.
Douglas got 20 points from senior Rachel Beauchamp, along with 12 rebounds. Chipping in nine points was Sydney Fraess.
On Saturday, it was a similar story as the Royals trailed by three entering the second quarter. This time they kept it close until the third frame, where Camosun built a 12-point advantage and exited with a 69-55 win.
Beauchamp again set the pace for Douglas, scoring 17 points and pulling down 14 rebounds. Fraess counted 15 points and New West native Devin Strome netted 10 in support, as the Royals went the game without hitting a three-point shot.
Douglas will be looking to break the losing streak this weekend, hosting Okanagan College with games Friday (6 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m.) at the New West campus.
