Experience trumped youth at the 2014 BC-CWBL Finals at the PISE Center in Victoria this weekend after the Vancouver Vintage Cable Cars defeated the The Langley Gold Rush 75-66.
After crushing victories against Tacoma and Victoria in the round robin on Saturday, The Gold Rush faced a tough battle on Sunday morning in a nail-biter semi-final versus the Okanagan Thunder. Thanks to strong team defense, the Gold Rush hung on to win 52-50 in the final seconds of the game and earn a trip to the finals. The Cable Cars had an easier road to the gold medal game, cruising to a 66-43 victory against the Victoria Chargers.
With experienced players like Paralympic gold medalist Jaimie Borisoff, long-time coach Joe Higgins and women's national team player Amanda Yan, the Cable Cars overwhelmed the Gold Rush's defence despite strong play from Jack Kosterman. The game remained close throughout, but the Cable Cars secured a relatively comfortable 75-66 win.
2014 Champions Vancouver Cable Cars
“This has been of the best finals we’ve seen for a long time," said BCWBS Interim Managing Director Sian Blyth. "BC is, right now, home to some of the best clubs in the country, and it’s fantastic to see.”
The Okanagan Thunder won the bronze medal in their Saturday afternoon match, accepting a forfeit from The Victoria Chargers who wanted to play a friendly match in order to play ineligible long-time Victoria player Deion Green. Kamloops won 5th place with a 63-43 win over Tacoma.
Congratulations to these athletes for winning the following awards:
MVP: Jack Kosterman (Gold Rush)
All-Stars:
Avril Harris (Gold Rush)
Ross MacDonald (Okanagan)
Eric Vliegenthart (Kamloops)
Jon McKanna (Cable Cars)
Jaimie Borisoff (Cable Cars)
League Awards (Photo of the Winners above)
True Sports Award: Parker Ayers (Tacoma)
Most Improved Player: Ben Hagkull (Gold Rush)
Rookie of the Year: Dave Johnson (Victoria)
Best Defensive Player: Avril Harris (Gold Rush)
Thanks to:
Hosting BC, the Province of BC, and ViaSport
Victoria Wheelchair Sports Club, Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence, Advanced Mobility, Panago Pizza, Thrifty Foods, Red Barn Market, Starbucks, Popeye's Supplements
