Okanagan College Coyotes headed to CCAA women’s basketball national championship

It’s been a meteoric rise for the Okanagan College Coyotes women’s basketball team.

After only three years of play in the Canadian Collegiate Athletics Association (CCAA), the Coyotes claimed their first PACWEST division championship March 5.

As a result, Okanagan College is headed into the CCAA women’s basketball championship at the end of March and Coyote confidence is running high.

“We know we can definitely compete or beat any team in the country,” Coyotes’ head coach Andrew Gini told Global News.

1:32 Okanagan College basketball kicks off inaugural season

“We have a deep team, probably one of the deepest in the country,” Gini added.

The coyotes are ranked fifth going into the nationals after defeating number one-ranked Vancouver Island University’s Mariners 79-74, to win provincials.

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“I think that was a huge win for our program,” said Coyotes’ PACWEST tournament MVP Jordan Kemper.

“We’ve been really close with them all season but never really able to pull out a win,” Kemper admitted.

1:29 Okanagan College Coyotes celebrate success on home court

With that win in provincials, the Coyotes’ plan of attack is to maintain the status quo at the nationals.

“I think if we just play with a lot of heart … put pressure on other teams,” said Coyotes’ guard Soelil Wilding, “I think they will have a really hard time against us.”

The CCAA’s women national championship takes place in Nanaimo, B.C. from March 25-27.