Coyotes’ teams split weekend

The Okanagan College men’s basketball team scored a historic first win in Abbotsford on Saturday.

From opening tip-off, the Coyotes were fired up and played with emotion and intensity. The game was close with the lead changing hands 10 different times in the first half and finished tied 43-43 at the break.

In the second half, the Coyotes hit some big shots down the stretch to prevail 85-80 over Columbia Bible College.

Curtis Wilson led the Coyotes offensively, pouring in 30 points to pace the program’s first victory in their inaugural season. Davide Ciancio drained some clutch three-pointers to finish with 18 points, while Jeff Tubbs chipped in 12 points.

Wilson was also a standout in Friday’s opener, with a game-high 33 points as the Coyotes dropped a hard-fought 92-87 decision to CBC.

The hosts came out strong and went on a 10-0 run before Okanagan College cut the deficit to 42-30 at halftime. The Coyotes closed to within three points late in the game but couldn’t complete the comeback.

Tubbs had 21 points and Matt Lafontaine added 15 in defeat.

“We were much better in every aspect of our game (on Saturday),” said Coyotes coach Dino Gini. “I am happy for the win as I know the guys really wanted it.”

Also in Abbotsford for a doubleheader against CBC, the Okanagan College women’s team earned an impressive split too.

Unlike their male counterparts, the female Coyotes won their opener, 57-55 on Friday, before losing Saturday’s rematch, 60-47.

In the victory, the Coyotes were 7-of-10 in three-point shooting in the first half, with Rebekah Salway and Megan Blair both going 2-for-2 from beyond the arc.

Danielle Ruocco was OC’s leading scorer, with 15 points, and Salway was a close second, with 13. Blair had eight points and 11 rebounds, with Jenna Bracken collecting nine rebounds and three steals.

The Coyotes had a slow start offensively on Saturday and battled from behind the entire game in losing by 13 points. Ruocco managed 13 points and seven rebounds, but no other OC players were in double-digits. Blair had a decent stat-line with six points, seven rebounds and four steals.

The OC women were missing their starting point guard, Navneet Mann, on the weekend.