That’s the way to start a season.
The Douglas College Royals launched the 2019/20 men’s basketball season on a solid note, sweeping a two-game tour of Vancouver Island.
And playing big roles in the twin wins were some Burnaby players.
On Saturday, the Royals handled the Camosun Chargers 88-74, hitting 44 per cent from the field.
Leading by eight points early in the second quarter, Douglas got into trouble in the second frame as Camosun went on an 18-9 run to grab a 43-42 lead off Matthew Gray’s three-pointer with seven seconds remaining in the first half.
Josiah Mastandrea and Burnaby South alumnus Jiordano Khan kicked off the third quarter with a pair of treys to put Douglas back in the lead, one they’d hold for the rest of the night.
Counting 24 points apiece were Dylan Kinley, including four three-pointers, and Burnaby’s Cam Morris, while Courtney Anderson netted 15 points. Ben Rabel pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds, one more than Kinley.
They opened the PacWest regular season a day earlier, trumping Vancouver Island 105-85 in Nanaimo.
A quick start was met by the Mariners’ response, with the home team leading 16-13 with 2:30 to play in the opening frame. The lead changed hands a few times, but Vancouver Island was looking at heading into the second quarter with a 21-19 lead before Mastandrea nailed a three-point bucket with no time left.
Douglas had control and entered halftime with a 48-42 advantage. They’d expand that with a 22-10 run in the third quarter, thanks to a series of treys by Mastandrea, Anderson and Rabel.
Morris delivered a game-high 28 points and 10 boards, adding a pair of blocks. The St. Thomas More alumnus drained four-of-six three-point shots. Anderson chipped in with 21 points, with Mastandrea adding 15 points and Burnaby’s Khan chipping in 14.
Douglas' lineup also includes Burnaby South grad Aidan Wilson, who like Khan, is a first-year player. Fifth-year Reese Morris, Kobe McKnight and Taylor Smith round out the local content.
In the second week of Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association rankings, Douglas sits third overall, rising three spots, behind Ontario’s Sheridan Bruins and Quebec’s de Brebeuf Dynamiques. Vancouver Island dropped from first to sixth.
The Royals enter the second week of play by hosting the Langara College Falcons on Saturday, 8 p.m. at the New West campus.
