Douglas College's women's basketball team is looking to carry their dominant playoff run into nationals next week.
After finishing 12-12 in regular season play, the Royals rallied as the fourth seed in the PACWEST playoffs to ultimately capture the 2023-24 conference title for the first time in seven years.
The New Westminster school's 85-71 victory last Saturday, March 2, over host-Okanagan College secured an automatic spot at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championships next week.
First-year forward Mackenzie Dalphond led the charge for the green and white to the B.C. banner, recording a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds en route to tournament MVP honours.
Anja Tjernagel, a second-year guard from New West who was named player of the gold medal game, added 13 of her own points for her hometown team.
Third-year forward Laini Glover also notched a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while second-year guard Elena Skalik scored 12 coming off the bench.
Glover and fifth-year New Westminster forward Jettie McLaughlin-Sakaki were named tournament all-stars in Kelowna.
The Royals upset top-seeded Vancouver Island University in the semifinal, 62-55, after beating Camosun College in the quarter by a near identical score, 63-55.
Douglas College has never won a Canadian women's basketball trophy; the program's best finish was second in 1991. The CCAA is the second-highest level of university sports in the country behind U SPORTS.
The 2024 nationals are scheduled to take place at Lakeland College in Lloydminster, Alta., from March 13 to 16.
The Royals will face Géants de Saint-Jean (Qué.) in a quarterfinal match on Wednesday, March 13, with tip-off at 2 p.m. PT.
