HAMILTON, Ont. - The Vancouver Island University Mariners will meet the Humber Hawks in the gold medal game of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Basketball National Championship in Hamilton, Ont.

The Mariners, from Nanaimo B.C., downed the host Mohawk Mountaineers 92-88 in a thrilling semifinal Friday.

The two teams both came out with a run and gun approach and at the end of the first quarter, VIU led 27-26. It increased that lead slightly, ending the first half ahead 44-39, although the Mountaineers had clawed back from a 10-point hole.

The teams continued to trade blows after the break, with Mohawk on top 65-64 after the third quarter. That set up an edge of your seat final 10 minutes when Mohawk turned the tables and went up by six points (81-75) on a Matt Fennell three-pointer.

However, there were still five minutes remaining and the Mariners regrouped to fashion a 13-0 run for an 88-81 lead. Mohawk fought back to get to within two points and Jeff Hunt hit the rim on his attempt to tie the game in the dying seconds and VIU was able to see the game out with their four point decision.

The Mariners player of the game, Justin King led his squad with 23 points while Chris Parker had 20.

For Mohawk, Fennell was their top man with 27 points and eight rebounds. Matt Savel had 15 points.

The Vancouver Island-Humber final will be played at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

The bronze medal semifinals begin at 10 a.m. when Lethbridge meets Holland College, followed at 12 p.m. with Mohawk playing Langara.

The bronze medal final will be played at 6 p.m.
 
Also Saturday, at 2 p.m. Medicine Hat meets Champlain in a consolation game.

Championship Website: www.ccaa.ca/national-championship-s15104

Championship Webcast: sportscanada.tv/ccaa/index.php/basketball/2015mbb

Source: Mohawk College