Men’s Falcons Basketball Team Soars, Women Stumble as Season Ends

Reported by Cloe Logan

As the PacWest basketball season comes to a close, the Langara Falcons men’s team are gearing up for the playoffs, while a young women’s team fell short of playoff qualification.

With a strong end to the season — that included five wins in their final six games — the men finished second in the PacWest standings heading into the post-season.

Coach attributes team success to comfortability

Head coach Paul Eberhardt said a key to the team’s success is the fact the players are more comfortable with each other this season.

“We have started to figure out what our identity is,” Eberhardt said. “I think we’re in a position where the players have a better understanding of what they need to do for the team to be successful.”

On the final weekend, Feb. 16-17, Langara’s men split back-to-back games at home against the Quest University Kermodes.

For the fifth straight game, the team reached the century mark on Friday, winning 100-90, with Ravi Basra scoring 18 points and Harry Brar chipping in 13 points, along with 16 rebounds off the bench.

However, a buzzer-beating dunk handed the Falcons a loss in their final game of the season.

Despite ending on a loss, Basra said he feels confident going into the playoffs.

“It took some time with all the new guys, but overall the chemistry is really good now,” Basra said. “We now understand how to play with each other.”

Youth and inexperience key to lack of success for women

The women’s team ultimately ended the year in seventh place, six points shy of a playoff berth.

Head coach Winston Brown said that they felt hopeful in the final few games, but having a newer team caused them to fall short.

“We have some really young players, so a lot of it was a lack of experience,” Brown said.

Alexa Layne lead the team in their final game, a 79-64 defeat to the Kermodes, with 19 points.

The PacWest Championship tips off at Vancouver Island University from March 1-3.