Chargers Christmas tournament promises top-notch b-ball
December 21, 2007
The Camosun College Chargers basketball teams are hosting their second annual Christmas tournament, December 27-29 at St. Margaret's School (1080 Lucas Avenue).
Chargers head coaches Brett Westcott and Gord Thatcher have gathered an impressive field of teams for this year's event, primarily from the Alberta Colleges' Athletic Conference (ACAC) and the British Columbia Colleges' Athletic Association (BCCAA). The Camosun coaches and student-athletes look forward to providing local b-ball enthusiasts with a weekend of action-packed entertainment.
"All the teams in this year's tournament are competitive and the student-athletes will be raring to hit the court after completing their Fall semester exams. These games will be a real highlight for fans looking for a basketball fix during the holidays. With the high schools on holiday break and UVic out of town, we hope to make this a regular Christmas event," commented Brett Westcott, head coach of the Chargers women's program.
The Chargers women's schedule includes games with Seattle Community College, (the lone team from the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges), Mt. Royal College (Calgary - ranked #2 in the ACAC South division), King's University College (Edmonton - #2 in the ACAC North division), Malaspina (ranked #3 in the BCCAA) and Capilano College (ranked #4 in the BCCAA).
The Chargers men will face off against Grande Prairie Regional College (Red Deer – ranked #4 in the ACAC North division), King's University College (#5 ACAC North division), Malaspina University College (#5 BCCAA), Capilano College (#6 BCCAA) and BCCAA newcomers, Quest University from Squamish.
With so many highly ranked and competitive teams from the ACAC and the BCCAA playing under one roof over the weekend, fans are sure to experience some top-notch basketball action.
"This tournament will be one of the last attempts for the Alberta and BC teams to square off in pursuit of a wildcard berth into the Canadian Colleges' Athletic Association National Championships in March. These inter-conference games are really important for our conferences and they add a little extra meaning to the games," remarked Westcott.
The game to watch on the women's side will be the December 29 battle between the Mt. Royal College (MRC) women and the Camosun Chargers at 6:00pm. Currently ranked second in the ACAC South Division, MRC is fourth in the country and was ranked number one earlier this season. Katie Ward, a 6'6” post player, will be added to the MRC roster at the Christmas break and will bring a wealth of skill and talent to the team's already hefty lineup. Last season, Ward played for the UBC Thunderbirds and prior to that, played at Illinois State University.
The Camosun Chargers are hot and currently tied for first place in the BCCAA conference and ranked sixth in the nation. The team created a huge upset pre-season, beating MRC 75-60 in their first game of the year at the Capilano College Blues Classic exhibition tournament in October. Over the holidays, the Chargers will be focused on repeating their outstanding performance against Mt. Royal and preparing for the upcoming season.
"Mt. Royal has a great team and with the addition of Katie Ward to their lineup they may have the best college team in the country, able to beat many of the CIS teams. We will have our hands full trying to deal with Ward and her new teammates. Games like this one will help us to get ready for the second half of our league schedule," said Westcott.
Tournament schedule
Thursday, December 27
| 12noon 1:45pm 3:30pm 5:15pm 7:00pm 8:45pm |
Malaspina vs. Quest (MEN) Malaspina vs. King's (WOMEN) Capilano vs. Grande Prairie (MEN) Capilano vs. Mt. Royal (WOMEN) Camosun vs. King's (MEN) Camosun vs. Seattle (WOMEN) |
Friday, December 28
| 11am 12:45pm 2:30pm 4:15pm 6pm 7:45pm |
Capilano vs. King's (MEN) Malaspina vs. Mt. Royal (WOMEN) Malaspina vs. Grande Prairie (MEN) Capilano vs. Seattle (WOMEN) Quest vs. King's (MEN) Camosun vs. King's (WOMEN) |
Saturday, December 29
| 11am 12:45pm 2:30pm 4:15pm 6pm 7:45pm |
Quest vs. Grande Prairie (MEN) Malaspina vs. Seattle (WOMEN) Malaspina vs. King's (MEN) Capilano vs. King's (WOMEN) Camosun vs. Mt. Royal (WOMEN) Camosun vs. Grande Prairie (MEN) |
Three-day Adult Tournament Pass: $20
Three-day Student Tournament Pass: $15
One-day Adult Tournament Pass: $8
One-day Student Tournament Pass: $6
Happy holidays to the all from the Camosun College Chargers basketball student-athletes and coaching staff!
Contact
Brett Westcott
Head Coach, Camosun College Women's Basketball
Phone: 388–9807
westcott@shaw.ca
