The Columbia Bible College Bearcats men’s and women’s basketball teams started the Pacwest season the right way on Friday.
The clubs opened the 2015-16 season in Surrey to take on the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Eagles, and both teams posted wins to start the season.
It took a little longer for the men’s team to pick up the win, as they outlasted the Eagles 85-82 in overtime. CBC opened up a 20-15 lead in the first half but the Eagles battled back in the second quarter. The Bearcats came out strong in the third quarter, putting up 34 points,but again the Eagles clawed back and managed to send the game to overtime.
Elijah Calhoun had a game-high 32 points for CBC, and Kevin Davis had a strong night, with 15 points, 29 rebounds and five assists. Jamie Konrad added 17 points, including shooting five of eight three-point shots.
The Bearcats shot 34 per cent, but dominated on the glass, out-rebounding the Eagles 60-38. They also bettered the Eagles on the offensive glass 26-7.
Free throw shooting was another strength for the Bearcats, as Calhoun went a perfect 13 for 13 from the charity stripe, and he and Konard went four for four in the final minute of overtime to secure the win.
Men’s head coach Matthew Boulton said he needs more from his team in future games.
“A greater defensive effort and more execution on offence will be required to be successful against Quest University and Langara College this coming weekend,” he said.
The women’s team dispatched the Eagles 86-55 to kick off the season with a win. It marks the first time in school history that both the men’s and women’s teams opened the season with a victory.
CBC travels to Squamish to take on the Quest Kermodes on Friday, and then Vancouver to battle the Langara Falcons. The team’s home opener occurs on Nov. 13 when the Camosun College Chargers come to town.