The VIU Mariners women's basketball team won their second consecutive, and eighth overall, PACWEST title on Saturday, March 7, booking their ticket to Nationals in Quebec. (Image Credit: PACWEST)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

unbeatable

Mariners take double gold at PACWEST basketball provincials

Mar 8, 2026 | 7:16 AM

NANAIMO — Another two banners are going to the rafters of the Vancouver Island University gymnasium.

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams claimed provincial titles on Saturday, March 7, winning their respective gold medal games at Camosun College in Victoria.

The women made it back-to-back PACWEST titles with a clinical 61-43 win over Douglas College in the final, using a completely dominate first half to set up the victory.

“It never gets old,” Tony Bryce, head coach, said after the game. “It’s a really good feeling, this group has come a really long way under a lot of change in personnel and what we’re doing…we’re playing a different game. To see the growth from September to now, it’s been fun to be a part of.”

VIU led 24-6 after the first quarter, then went on a 17-0 run in the second to lead 41-6 at half time.

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Bryce said they were immensely successful in applying a defensive system they wanted to implement.

“We did a good job at it the last time we played them at home and we just cleaned up a few mistakes from that. Full credit to the girls, you couldn’t execute it better than that and it’s the best defensive half of basketball I’ve ever been a part of.”

The second half was academic for the Mariners, who controlled prolonged passages of play en route to the victory.

Sarah Cook led the team with 11 points, while Sammy Shields notched 10, in addition to six steals and player of the game honours.

Mackenzie Cox was named the tournament MVP, while teammates Kaia Simpson and Trista Thorn were part of the tournament all-star team.

VIU’s women’s team will travel to Quebec as the PACWEST representative at the CCAA National Championships for the eighth time.

The tournament runs March 18 to 21.

The men’s team celebrate their buzzer beater victory Saturday night. (Image Credit: PACWEST)

The men’s squad had a much closer affair in their gold medal game against the hosts, Camosun.

A see-saw affair finished with the Marriners 78-75 winners over Camosun, with Kai Leighton hitting a three pointer at the final buzzer to clinch the game.

“Super hard fought game, Camosun is a great team and they beat us a couple of weekends ago, twice,” Matt Kuzminski, head coach, said. “For us to come back and respond so well, grind it out, stay the course when things got tough, I’m super proud of the group because we faced some adversity and they really came together as a team, guys stepped up.

VIU led early, carrying a 14-7 lead after the first quarter. However, Camosun countered to close out the first half, outscoring the Mariners 23-15 to lead by a point at halftime.

A tense second half saw the lead change multiple times, but seldom by more than a few points.

Leighton’s shot from beyond the arc on the final possession of the game proved decisive.

“I think he hit the game winning shot and instead of celebrating, he went right away to shake the coaches’ hands, and that’s just the class that he has in victory and in defeat,” Kuzminski added.

Leighton and Keyonte Beals led scoring for the Mariners with 21 and 20 points each.

Ryan Bastian recorded 12 rebounds, including a defensive rebound to setup the game winning shot.

Both Camosun and VIU will advance to the CCAA Men’s Basketball Nationals, hosted by VIU in Nanaimo beginning March 18.

— with files from Matt Carter, VIU

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