It wasn鈥檛 easy but Quest鈥檚 women鈥檚 basketball team, or at least the players left standing, eked out a home win against the Columbia Bible College Bearcats on Saturday.
Things did not start well for the Kermodes when they let the visitors, currently second from the basement, jump out to a quick 5-0 lead.
The real trouble came late in the first when guard Jordin Wilkinson, who went into the weekend fifth in league scoring, hit her head in a scramble for a loose ball near mid-court and needed help to get off the floor.
Wilkinson sat out the rest of the game, leaving head coach Dany Charlery, already facing a short bench, down to three substitutes.
All year, the young women鈥檚 team, already in rebuilding mode after last year鈥檚 championship season, has had to deal with losing players, most notably Tessa Needham, another starting guard, who was injured after only three games.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been through so much,鈥� Charlery said after the game.
On Saturday, Quest was leading after the first quarter but trailed after the second and third frames.
Some tough defence and offensive rebounding down the stretch helped the Kermodes claw their way back into the game, with several players taking on bigger roles to help the team to a 73-66 win, most notably Eliska Vavrova.
鈥淓llie stepped up. She was the high scorer,鈥� Charlery said.
Vavrova had 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Emily Lachenmayer and veteran Miriam Baumann both had double-doubles in points and rebounds, while Shahed Aburegeba also scored in double figures.
The previous night against last-place Kwantlen, the Quest women had an easier time, beating the Eagles 91-50. Baumann led the way with 31 points and 23 rebounds, while Wilkinson scored 18 and Lachenmayer added 10.
The men鈥檚 team, now a lock for second spot in the league, had a relatively easy time this weekend.
On Saturday, Columbia Bible College never really threatened Quest, though they did not make things easy, but in the end the Kermodes coasted to an 86-70 win.
While the Bearcats made a mini run late in the third quarter, Quest held onto its 16-point margin from halftime through the second half.
Theo VandenEkart shot the lights out from behind the three-point arch, going six for 12 and finished the game with 23 points to lead the team.
鈥淭heo really got going in the late first quarter, early second,鈥� Quest coach Sean Shook said.
Noah DeRappard-Yeswick and Michael Zayas-Duran each scored in double figures.
Though the Bearcats鈥� men鈥檚 team, like the women鈥檚 team, is in second last, Shook gave the visitors credit for testing his team鈥檚 defence, saying CBC has been the only team besides league-leading VIU to score the hit the 70-point mark against Quest.
鈥淔or whatever reason, these guys are just a tough matchup,鈥� he said.
The same could not be said for Kwantlen, which is down to six players. Quest had no trouble on Friday as it won 102-61. The game was basically over by the third quarter, during which Quest scored a whopping 42 points.
Mike West led the way with 23 points, while VandenEkart added 20. Dallas Searles, Chris McAlpine and DeRappard-Yeswick each scored in double figures.
鈥淲e had different contributions from different guys,鈥� Shook said of his team鈥檚 play over the weekend.
The Quest team will go on the road for games this Thursday against Capilano and Saturday against Douglas before closing out the regular season at home on Feb. 26 against Langara.
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