Crunch time for Falcons

By Meharwaan Manak
 

After battling through the regular season, both of Langara’s basketball teams have their eyes on the future. 

Approaching the end of the season, the Langara Falcons women’s hoops team must up their game if they hope to finish in the top six in the conference and qualify for next month’s PACWEST championships. The men, meanwhile, rallied from a slow start to rise to the middle of the standings.  

The men’s team has seven wins and seven losses while the women’s record is 2-12.  

The women are currently sixth in the PACWEST rankings, just four points ahead of last-place Columbia Bible College in seventh. Only top-six teams qualify for the conference championships. The men sit fourth in the league.   

“We can’t take anything for granted,” said Joey Dhillon, men’s head coach.

Growing pains

Both teams, who generated similar middling results last season, have had to adapt to new head coaches. With  Dhillon coaching the men and Cameron MacGillivary taking over the women’s team, there has been a significant learning curve.  

“We have so many players from last year, but some of these players are playing in a role that is a little bit more expansive than what they were playing in last year,” said Dhillon.  

In a difficult season, the women took heart in their 62-58 victory over league leader Capilano University. MacGillivary was previously an assistant coach, in their second game of the season.  

“We definitely had our battles with them in previous seasons,” said Katelyn Lafleur, a third-year guard. “Especially Cam coming from Capilano, to beat them in their home court made us feel good that we gave that win to him.”    

The men’s team has potential to finish the season off strong in its next four games as they will meet two teams they have previously beaten.   

“Even though we’ve beaten them before doesn’t mean they can’t beat us so we’re going in confident and composed at the same time,” warned centre and team co-captain Jas Dhudwal, the league’s leading rebounder.   

Both teams have four games left in the regular season. The next home game is Feb. 24, when the men and women take on Camosun College.