An incredible comeback spurred the Douglas College Royals women’s basketball team past the Columbia Bible College Bearcats 65-60 on Saturday.
Trailing by as much as 13 points early in the third quarter, the Pacific Western Athletic Conference-leading Royals blitzed the Bearcats 14-5 in the fourth quarter to force extra time, then won the game with a 16-11 run in overtime.
Nanaya Miki scored 18 points and Rachel Beauchamp contributed 16 points and 13 rebounds as Douglas College shook off a tepid start, which saw the host Bearcats lead 15-10 after 10 minutes and by six at halftime.
It only grew worse in the third quarter, as Columbia started the second half on a seven-point run to lead 32-19. And while the Abbotsford-based squad held a 44-35 advantage after three quarters, the tables began to turn before the half ended.
The Royals, who shot 22.6 per cent from the field in the first half, dominated with a 37 per cent shooting performance in the second frame while shutting the Bearcats’ offence to a trickle in the fourth quarter.
Douglas College also were masterful on defence, with a 70.9 per cent success rate.
Garmline Tom racked up 10 rebounds.
It came on the heels of a forceful 76-41 triumph over Kwantlen Polytechnic a day earlier.
Douglas never trailed, up 18-11 after one quarter and 44-25 at the half. Ellen Fallis deposited a game-best 26 points, including three treys, while Beauchamp chipped in 13 points.
Adding 11 points in support was Gursimran Bir.
The club’s balanced approach continues to carry the ball, as no Douglas players rank among the top-50 in the nation for scoring, while Miki and Beauchamp are 48th and 50th, respectively, for rebounding.
The Royals, recently ranked seventh in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association, play host to Camosun University, 6 p.m. on Friday at the New West campus.
