Royals prepare for home opener vs. Blues after strong opening weekend

The Douglas Royals women's basketball team are set to have their home opener of the season this Saturday as they host the Capilano Blues for their 3rd regular season game of the year. 

The women hit the court this past weekend and opened the PACWEST season as previous bronze-medallists with a strong start, defeating the Langara Falcons in back-to-back wins after a 71-62 finish on Friday night and following it up with a convincing 82-47 victory on Saturday.  

Rookie forward Laini Glover led all players the first night by putting up an impressive 31 points and obtaining 16 rebounds. Saturday's game saw first-year guard Jenessa Knapp scoring 18 points in Douglas' wide 82-47 victory. The team finished the weekend with a 37.3% field goal percentage and obtained all 4 points that were up for grabs to have them sit tied at second in the conference. 

Head coach Steve Beauchamp is excited for what lies in the season ahead as the Royals began the year with a relatively new roster, having only one returner from previous seasons. (Guard Karalee Antoine). 

"We're a really young team; 12 freshmen and 2 second year players. As coaches we are really pleased with the attitude the players are bringing, their desire to learn and get better. They're taking in a lot of what we are offering them, and overall, I would say the environment is really good." 

The last time the Royals faced the Capilano Blues was all the way back on January 18, 2020. Now nearly a whole year later, the squad prepares for a much-anticipated home opener this Saturday night. Like Douglas, the Blues also have zero losses after the opening weekend, so this game will be an exciting one to look out for.  

"We can only control what we can control. Our job is to go out there and play the best we can. We want to make sure we don't beat ourselves, and that's kind of the focus that we're taking." 

Don't miss the Royals women as they hit the court Saturday night at 6pm in the New Westminster gym. Tickets at the door are $6 for general admission (19+), while Douglas students get in for free. Proof of vaccination for all spectators 12+ is required. Livestream will be available on PACWEST TV.