The 2025 PACWEST Women’s Basketball Championship tipped off Thursday with a quarterfinal battle between the Okanagan Coyotes and Langara Falcons.
The Coyotes entered with momentum and their highest seeding in program history, locking in the #3 spot after winning three of their final four regular season games. They dominated the regular season series against Langara, sweeping all three matchups with an average margin of 22 points and shooting 41.8% from the field. First Team All-Star Jordan Kemper led the charge, averaging 17.3 points per game.
OC’s strong season was further validated during the PACWEST awards ceremony on Wednesday. Kemper and Paloma Niz Velazquez were named First Team All-Stars, Elizabeth Henne was recognized as Defensive Player of the Year, and Andrew Gini earned Coach of the Year honours.
Langara, coming in as the sixth seed, had trouble breaking OC’s press defense during the regular season, shooting just 27.6%. Guard Rachel Labrador averaged 12 points across the series. The Falcons entered the playoffs on a two-game skid and hadn’t played in three weeks, leaving questions about their rhythm heading into the matchup.
The winner would earn a spot in the Friday semifinal against the #2-seeded Capilano Blues.
By the Numbers – Head-to-Head:
- Records: Coyotes 10–6 | Falcons 4–14
- Points Per Game: Coyotes 78.8 | Falcons 59.3
- Points Allowed: Coyotes 64 | Falcons 74.4
- Field Goal %: Coyotes 38.9% | Falcons 30.1%
- Top Scorers: Jordan Kemper (17.7 PPG – OC) | Jessica Castillo (14.8 PPG – Langara)
- Top Rebounders: Jordan Kemper (8.3 RPG – OC) | Rachel Labrador (5.8 RPG – Langara)
