They won just one of two road games, but the Kwantlen Eagles men’s basketball team served notice they will challenge for a PacWest playoff berth.
The Eagles fell 89-84 to the Capilano Blues in North Vancouver Friday night, then handled the Quest University Kermodes 93-79 Saturday in Squamish.
The results left the Eagles with a 1-3 (won-lost) record, a half-game back of the 1-2 Douglas College Royals and one position out of a top six placing in the nine-team league, and the schedule for next week presents an opportunity to overtake the Royals for the last playoff position.
Kwantlen hosts the 0-3 columbia bible College Bearcats Friday night at 8 p.m. in the gymnasium on the Surrey campus, then visits Douglas Saturday night in New Westminster.
A.J. Adusei, a second-year point guard from North Delta Secondary, paced the Eagles on the weekend, scoring 73 points in the two games. He netted 30 Friday night, with Seaquam Secondary graduate Aaron Ram adding 22.
Kwantlen trailed by 12 points at three-quarter time, but controlled the final frame before falling five points short to the 2-1 Blues.
Adusei was an impressive 17-of-20 from the free-throw line Saturday, and finished the game with a team-high 43 points. Mark Mitchell, also a second-year guard, was very effective in a defensive role.
After winning its first game of the season, the women’s team from Kwantlen Polytechnic University has now lost three straight, but is still clinging to a playoff spot in sixth place.
The Eagles played an undefeated Capilano team tough Friday night in North Vancouver, but lost 69-61.
First-year guard Jessica Villadiego, a graduate of Holy Cross high school, came off the bench and played a solid defensive game, while third-year guard Erin Vekic led the team in scoring with 13 points.
In Squamish Saturday, they lost 80-61 to Quest University. Third-year guard Anna Work was the top scorer with 17 points, while Villadiego chipped in a team-high six assists.
Kwantlen can tighten their hold on a playoff position with next weekend’s game against Douglas College and Columbia Bible College. Both opponents are winless in three games.