The VIU Mariners women's basketball team are CCAA National Champions after a convincing win in Montreal on Saturday, March 21.

By Alex Rawnsley

gold and silver

Mariner women clinch CCAA national title, men fall agonizingly short

Mar 21, 2026 | 8:52 PM

NANAIMO — The Vancouver Island University Mariners women’s basketball team are national champions once more.

Playing at the CCAA National Championships hosted by Dawson College in Montreal, QC, the Mariners used a dominant second quarter against Ontario’s Fanshawe College to tee up another gold medal, via a 72-58 win on Saturday, March 21.

Sarah Cook led the way offensively with 18 points, including four three-pointers on five attempts. Samantha Sheilds (17 points) and Kaia Simpson (10) also made big contributions.

After trailing 18-16 after the first quarter, the Mariners took firm control of the game and led 42-35 at the half.

They never relinquished the lead, outscoring Fanshawe 30-23 in the second half to cruise to the victory.

gold and silver

Mariner women clinch CCAA national title, men fall agonizingly short

3h ago

TLC

Nanaimo's historic courthouse to undergo overhaul

17h ago

Wild Finish

Clippers clinch second playoff seed with win over Powell River

18h ago

Defensively, Kiayra Hohlweg brought in 11 rebounds, followed by Shields’ nine, a vast majority of which were at the defensive end of the court.

The title is VIU’s second women’s basketball crown in the last three years, winning in 2023 and finishing second in 2022 as the hosts.

It was also the final game on the bench for longtime coach Tony Bryce, who’d announced his retirement earlier in the year.

Winston Cole had a pair of chances to clinch a Mariner victory in the dying seconds, but was unable to get a shot to fall. (Image Credit: Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Hours later, in front of a capacity crowd at the VIU Gym in Nanaimo, the men’s team fell by the narrowest of margins, 62-61 to College Jean-de-Brebeuf from Montreal.

Nerves potentially factored into a very slow start for the Mariners, who fell behind 16-2 early in the first quarter, but countered with a 10-0 scoring run of their own to trail by just five at the end of the first quarter.

VIU continued to push the pace of the game in the second, tying the game at 25 with 6:20 left in the 2nd quarter and then took the lead 39-32 going into the dressing rooms.

Brebeuf chipped away at the lead throughout the second half, closing the gap to just four points at three-quarter-time.

A see-saw fourth quarter saw the Mariners lead by upwards of six points, but Brebeuf narrowed it to two points with three minutes left, then taking the lead with 1:25 left

Brebeuf thought they’d won the title as VIU attempted a shot as the buzzer went, however a foul just prior brought the ball back with 0.3 seconds remaining.

The Mariners inbounded the ball to Winston Cole who attempted a mid-air shot from in close but the ball did not fall and Brebeuf stormed the court in celebration.

Brebuef celebrate a CCAA National Championship. (Image Credit: Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Keyonte Beals was named VIU player of the game for his 18 points, just ahead of Cole’s 15 and Markus Modrovic contributing 13.

Kai Leighton dominated defensively with 13 rebounds.

A silver medal in 2026 is the first medal for the team since a bronze medal in 2023.

Head coach Matt Kuzminski is also leaving the program after this season, joining Bryce in announcing his retirement earlier in the year.

Local news. Delivered. Free. Subscribe to our daily news wrap and get our top local stories delivered to your email inbox every evening.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

Follow us on: Twitter (X) | Bluesky | Facebook