Malcolm out of the Middle > Men’s basketball honours their captain Davie Wong Sports Editor Ga into this weekend, the Royals still didn’t have the time off that they needed or deserved. Normally, the last week of the season either means nothing, or it means everything. For the Royals this year, it meant everything. Still, the men took time, Malcolm Mensah, their captain, who after five years of service to the team would be playing his last home game over the weekend. However, waiting for the squad to arrive was a desperate Quest Kermodes team. This too was their last chance to solidify their playoff position, and they needed to win against the Royals. But the Royals needed the win too, and a battle ensued. It was a tight match overall. The Royals only managed to grab a solid lead in the fourth quarter. They would go on to protect that lead, just barely, to win 76-68. It wasn’t their best night out, but a win is a win. The team went home, eager to close out the season. For their last dance, they faced the Langara Falcons, who were looking to solidify their playoff position as well. Before the game, a small ceremony was conducted to congratulate Malcolm on his time at Douglas as a Royal. Malcolm Mensah has been a dominant force for the Royals for so many years. “It was like watching a man playing against boys. Maybe it was because he was 30,’ Coach Enevoldson said jokingly in his congratulatory speech. But there was truth behind the joke. Malcolm Mensah came into the PACWEST, and made more than his fair share of teams looking like double A high school teams. It’s truly going to be difficult to replace the giant on the court, and even more difficult to fill the hole in the locker room when he leaves. The Royals truly had a star in Malcolm Mensah, both on and off the court. Gifts were given, words exchanged, and pictures taken. Then it was right back to business. Right from the start, you could tell it was going to bea close game. Both sides traded leads rapidly through the game, and throughout the quarters. Going into the fourth quarter, the Royals trailed the Falcons by a single point. That lead skyrocketed for the Falcons, as the Royals missed opportunities and gave up more than a couple themselves. However, the Royals weren't done. They stunned the Falcons with consecutive point scoring drives while playing some solid defence of their own to finish off the quarter. With less than 10 seconds left on the clock, the Royals managed to tie the game and force overtime for the first time this season. After giving the Royals the chance to comeback, the Falcons just fell apart. The Royals dominated the Sending off the seniors > Women’s basketball says goodbye to long-time players Davie Wong Sports Editor oing into this weekend, the Royals knew that their playoff spot was secured, and a top two finish was theirs. In fact, it was impossible for them to move up or down in the standings. With that in mind, and the playoffs right around the corner, it was a bit of rest week for Coach Steve Beauchamp and his team. Facing the Quest Kermodes in their last road game of the year, the Royals came just a little short. It wasn’t for a lack of effort, though. More simply, it was the lack of importance linked to the game. That and the fact that a couple of the Royals’ top scorers sat the game out, and the other top players played limited minutes. Simply put, the game wasn’t too important, but it was for the Kermodes. Playing for their playoff seedings, the Quest Kermodes had everything on the line. Any sort of slip up meant that they could potentially drop into the sixth seed and be placed against the third best team in the PACWEST. With that sort pressure on the Kermodes, they turned their play on to a new level and triumphed over the Royals, 70-62. It was a disappointing loss for the Royals, but by no means too surprising. The Douglas squad returned home the next day to play their last home game against the Langara Falcons. Along with it being their last game of the regular season, it was also Senior’s Night. Senior’s Night has long been a night where the Royals take time to honour their players that are playing their last home game of their career with the Royals. This year, the Royals honoured Adelia Paul, Garaline Tom, and Jettie McLaughlin. Adelia has been a long-time playmaker for the Royals. Her five years with the team have been filled with trial and tribulation, but her dedication to the program has been unwavering. You would be hard pressed to find a player who has given more of her time to giving back to the Royals and her community. Similarly, Garaline is also finishing her fifth year with the Royals. Her path was also one paved with difficult choices and situations. However, she has always found her way back to the Royals and found ways to make her Photograph by Davie Wong overtime quarter in every aspect. They would win the game respectably with a final score of 96-88. All in all, it was a very good finish to the season for the men. Hopefully, things are looking up for the guys as they begin to prep for the playoffs, which begin in just a week at Quest. presence a positive one for the team. Jettie, although not in her fifth year with the team, is graduating from a fifth year program and will no longer be with the team next year. During her four years with the team, Jettie was always a very reliable player. If you needed someone to put a couple of buckets down during a crucial moment in the game, you would turn to Jettie. A small ceremony was held before the game, honouring the players. Once the game started, it was sort of like the Kermodes game, but nothing like it at all. The game meant nothing to the team on the standings, and the game meant a Photograph by Davie Wong lot to the Falcons. But it was something about playing their last home game of their career that pumped up the seniors. Jettie McLaughlin finished the game with a season high 17 points and 24 minutes. Garaline Tom finished with 9 points and 12 rebounds, a season high. And though Adelia Paul was limited to only 20 minutes on the court, probably due to Coach Beauchamp resting her a bit for playoffs, she left her heart out on the court. All of this lead to a nice 71-61 win for the Royals to cap off their season. Now, they get to rest a bit before the playoffs begin next week.