VANCOUVER, British Columbia (March 30, 2022) -- An overtime classic saw the Cinderella NAIT Ooks overcome a ferocious atmosphere in the Vancouver Island Gym to defeat the host Mariners 76-71.

The gym was at full capacity and blue-clad fans remained loud throughout the entire game as many students, families, and locals came to see if the Mariners could find themselves victorious on home court. NAIT fans were joined by Lakeland supporters in cheering on the Edmonton squad.

In the first quarter, the Ooks leaned heavily on shots from beyond the arc, and took a 23-16 lead into the second quarter based largely on going 6-15 from distance. Fifth-year guard Aphia Ward, who hit on 3 of 6 three-point attempts, came off the bench to push NAIT’s early lead.

The Mariners began to claw back in the second half as guard Ranika Guyton executed a number of smooth finishes at the hoop. However, the Ooks maintained their lead into the halftime break by shooting at a 43.8% clip, and NAIT led 39-35 at the break.

As with VIU’s earlier games in the tournament, the Mariners pushed hard for a comeback in the second half. Forward Shayce Johnston drew a number of fouls with hard drives in the paint and hit on 8 of 9 free throws in the third quarter. NAIT lost some momentum by only hitting on 1 of 8 three point attempts, with each miss sending the home crowd into a frenzy. VIU took a 56-54 lead into the fourth quarter.

What the crowd assumed would be the final frame was a tough, ragged affair with the athletes showing the wear of a top-level three-day tournament. While the players continued to fly up and down the coart—marshalled by VIU’s Amber Lease and NAIT’s Carly McHard—only 20 points were scored between the two teams as NAIT shot 23.5% and VIU shot 15.8%.

NAIT held a 65-63 lead for nearly the final two and a half minutes of the quarter before a Ranika Guyton layup brought the Mariners even and the crowd—most of who were already standing—fully to their feet. A late VIU layup attempt and a NAIT three-point attempt at the buzzer both missed and the teams were off to overtime, tied at 65.

In overtime, the teams traded early buckets before a Carly McHarg three-pointer gave NAIT a lead it would not reliquish. A Lucy Wilde layup upped the NAIT advantage to 72-69 and the Mariners were forced to foul the Ooks down the stretch. Aliyah Johnson and Lucy Wilde made good on their free throws—sandwiching a late CJ Buckley basket—and the Ooks celebrated a 76-71 win.

Aphia Ward—who scored a game-high 20 points and finished 6 for 14 from three—was named player of the game for NAIT. Shayce Johnston, who earned a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds, was named player of the game for VIU.

For Ooks head coach Todd Warnick, this game brought his CCAA coaching career full circle. He began his collegiate head coaching experience in this same gym by coaching the VIU Mariners (then known as the Malaspina University-College Mariners) men’s basketball team, with whom he earned a CCAA bronze medial in 2004-05. He now finishes his CCAA coaching career with a national title in the same gym before taking on the coaching reins with Thompson Rivers University.