Christian women's hoops team that was sanctioned for disputed trans athlete abuse wins Canadian championship

A feud against a transgender rival that resulted successful forfeits and sanctions didn't halt Columbia Bible College (CBC) from going each the mode this year. 

CBC won the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association women's hoops nationalist title connected Saturday night, beating St. Mary's University 77-70 to triumph the rubric for the archetypal clip successful programme history. 

For CBC, Elissa Vreugdenhil won CCAA title tourney MVP, putting up 19 points with 12 rebounds successful the win. Grace Park scored 20 points with six rebounds and 4 assists to assertion subordinate of the crippled honors, portion Madeline Beerwald scored 20 points with 8 rebounds. 

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The triumph is not lone the archetypal nationalist title successful CBC history, but besides marked a melodramatic turnaround from conscionable 2 years ago, arsenic the programme suffered a 54-game losing streak from 2018 to 2023. The programme had not adjacent won a league playoff crippled anterior to this season. 

But the squad besides accomplished each this nether the shadiness of accusations related to the attraction of a trans athlete. Head manager Taylor Claggett was suspended and the squad mislaid its close to big the league tourney aft allegations of maltreatment against a trans jock connected Vancouver Island University (VIU) successful October. 

The feud started during an Oct. 25 crippled betwixt the 2 teams, which VIU won 69-56 aft trans subordinate Harriette Mackenzie scored a game-high 19 points. Five days aft that game, the trans jock posted an Instagram video alleging that Claggett "cornered 1 of our diversion unit and went connected a tirade astir however I shouldn’t beryllium allowed to play."

It was besides alleged Mackenzie was deliberately fouled to the crushed by a CBC player. In response, Claggett posted her ain connection connected Instagram, claiming Mackenzie's statements were inaccurate.

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"My volition has thing to bash with a circumstantial athlete, but instead, the information of pistillate athletes successful their sport," Claggett wrote.

VIU past submitted a ceremonial ailment to the PacWest, prompting an investigation. When the 2 teams were scheduled to play again connected Jan. 10 and 11, VIU refused. 

"Intimidation, harassment and favoritism person nary spot successful athletics," VIU said successful a connection to Fox News Digital successful January regarding the determination not to play. "VIU stands successful afloat enactment of our student-athletes and affirms the close of each athletes to vie successful an situation that prioritizes their information and well-being."

VIU requested that the 2 forfeits not number arsenic losses connected the team's record, which was granted by the PacWest. 

CBC provided a connection to Fox News Digital that play stating "accusations that CBC, its coaches, players and fans are a information menace are simply untrue and misinformed." 

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Days later, CBC players condemned Mackenzie, successful a missive obtained by Fox News Digital. 

CBC players blamed Mackenzie for "personal attacks," "defamatory comments" and adjacent "comments that incite violence" against their coach. 

"Videos and letters posted by members of the VIU women’s hoops squad implicit the past 3 months person straight violated aggregate rules stated successful Article 17.2 of the manual. Various posts person included 'personal attacks,' 'defamatory comments,' 'lack of respect towards the PacWest' and led to 'comments that incite to unit and/or hatred' directed astatine our coach," the missive stated.

"Any and each allegations made by VIU players regarding our squad and manager should person been straight communicated to PacWest officials alone, they should not person been uploaded publically to societal media."

The PacWest yet sided with VIU and Mackenzie. It suspended Claggett successful aboriginal February, and CBC mislaid its close to big the PacWest championships. 

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CBC managed to combat each the mode backmost to scope the PacWest rubric game, which happened to beryllium against VIU and Mackenzie, connected March 1. Mackenzie scored 21 points successful that crippled to pb VIU to a 69-59 victory, and was past awarded league tourney MVP successful a ceremonial aft the game.

But VIU's nationalist title hopes were dashed quickly, aft a nonaccomplishment to Mohawk College successful the archetypal circular connected Wednesday. Mackenzie's Instagram account, the level that initially shared the allegations against Claggett and CBC, was recovered to beryllium deleted that aforesaid day. 

Meanwhile, CBC has present made a tally each the mode to a historical championship, contempt the predominant distractions this season. 

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