Brent Mutis, CapU sport info & compliance officer

One step closer to their goal, the Capilano Blues will face a familiar rival in the PACWEST gold-medal game after a 60-49 semifinal win Friday over the Douglas College Royals.

WBB | The women's match against the @RoyalsAthletics has begun! A spot in the @pacwestbc Provincial Championship is on the line! Wonderfully hosted by the @CamosunChargers. #GoBlues pic.twitter.com/8ysPNxV1vp

— Capilano University Blues (@CapilanoBlues) March 4, 2023

Capilano, the No. 1-seed in the tournament, will take on the No. 2-seed Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners in Saturday's women's final. The winner will go on to the CCAA national championship.

On Friday, it was a convincing second quarter for the Blues where they outscored the Royals 21-8, that made the difference in the win. Kirsten Abo and Meagan Briggs had seven points apiece in the second to put the Blues up 13 at halftime.

Neither team shot the ball well in the second half though Abo made two of her three three-pointers in the fourth quarter as part of a 21-point outing to help seal the deal. 

Briggs wound up with 11 points and 14 rebounds and also handed out three assists. Teigan Manson, playing her first game since Jan. 28, was in the starting lineup and chipped in five points and five rebounds. Maddy Coffin had four points and six boards in 12 minutes off the bench.

For both teams in Saturday's final, the season is on on the line. The Blues are the top seed but VIU won the last meeting between the teams, 68-52 on Feb. 4. Only the winner can advance to the CCAA national championship and VIU will be hungry as well because they were upset in last year's final by a suprise Okanagan College side. CapU has not been to nationals since the 2017-18 season.

Tipoff in Saturday's gold-medal game is 5:30 p.m. at Camosun College.