Coach Bernie Love gives him team a pep-talk right before their Feb. 4 game against the Quest Kermodes. (Photo by Josh Saggau)

The 2010-’11 basketball season will be the last for Bernie Love, the head coach of Kwantlen’s men’s team, who announced his resignation last week.

Love, who has coached the team for nine of the past 12 years, said his reasons for leaving were personal, and had nothing to do with the team’s poor record: He is moving to Trail to be closer to family.

“It wasn’t an easy decision. If I was not moving back there, then I would be back,” he said, explaining he had made up his mind several weeks ago.

Coach Bernie Love screams at his team during their Friday night game after the Kermodes came back to erase a huge lead. (Photo by Josh Saggau)

When Love broke the news to his team, he was met with an “expressionless” response.

“They’re a bit of a quieter group. Not a lot of them said anything,” he said. “Maybe when the season’s done, then the goodbyes will come.

“I think that the last Saturday night will probably be a little bit tough.”

According to guard Doug Meyers, the silent reaction on the team’s part may have been for less-obvious reasons.

“There’s definitely a player-coach tension. It may not show, it may not come out in front of the team, but guys talk: It’s just the nature of the game,” said the second-year student.

“The problem here that I have most with Bernie is there’s a lack of accountability and perceived caring on his part and it leads to the team.

“Things that come from the coach definitely effect what goes on on the floor. I’m not going to say that it’s 100 per cent the coach, that it’s 100 per cent the players, it’s definitely a combination.”

The Eagles have suffered through nothing but losses since late November, a combination of poor shots and missing links on the players’ part; a lack of accountability and cancelled practices on the coach’s, according to Meyers.

He said that while the Love gave him “a lot of confidence” to be able to grow as a player and reach his potential, he didn’t follow through with his high expectations for the team.

“Talk the talk, walk the walk. In my opinion, Bernie’s a talker. It sucks to say, I haven’t seen a lot of walking,” he said.

On a personal level, Meyers went through what the team as a whole is struggling with.

When he was in Grade 9, he knew he loved the game; he also recognized that he “sucked.” But he confronted his coach with the goal in mind to be the team’s star by Grade 12. He was playing on the provincial team by the end of high school.

“I understand what it takes to get to that level [and] I just haven’t seen it here,” Meyers said.

Despite the effects of the coach’s “negative undertones” on the team, according to Meyers, Love is able to acknowledge part of the tension and focus on the positive.

“There’s wins and there’s losses,” Love said. “Obviously we’d like to be doing a lot better than we are… I don’t call this a waste of a year at all.”

Love is moving on from coaching university level teams, but not necessarily from coaching in general: He may coach at the high school and junior high level in the Interior. (Photo by Josh Saggau)

Doug Meyers retrieves the stray basketball from Brad Quevillon, who dove for it in an attempted turnover. (Jacob Zinn photo)

Friday night, the Kwantlen Eagles won some and lost some against the Langara Falcons on home court in men’s and women’s basketball.

The women’s team had a heartbreaking, down-to-the-last-second loss against Langara with a final score of 68-66.

A questionable pushing foul on Taminder Dhaliwal in the fourth quarter allowed the Falcons to sink two free throws with seven seconds left on the clock.

The score was close for most of the game with the women’s team just behind 27-26 at the end of the second quarter. Shortly after, Jessica Williams closed the gap, tying the game 33.

Other highlights included a breakaway layup by Dhaliwal in the third and a layup through a crowded court by Grace Pawluk.

The women’s team league record sits at seven wins, nine losses.

Meanwhile, the men’s team picked up its third straight win, beating Langara 80-66.

The Eagles closed in on a 20-point lead in the third quarter with four consecutive baskets, two of which were three-point shots, making the score 56-36. The Falcons tried to catch up, but Kwantlen maintained a steady lead through the fourth.

Highlights included a series of baskets by Doug Meyers and a collision between Mike Davis and Langara’s Yassine Ghomari. Davis limped off the court in the remaining seconds of the second quarter, but returned to the court in the third.

The men’s record is now six wins, 10 losses.

Jessica Williams drives past Jade Arignon towards the basket for two points. (Jacob Zinn photo)

Emily Wright dribbles the ball while attempting to pass Stephanie Scott. (Jacob Zinn photo)

Williams keeps up the defense against Jena Riches around the three-point line.

Taminder Dhaliwal tries to block Paige Burnham from passing to her teammates.

Kevin Kokoska wins the tip-off, getting the basketball away from Karol Cybula.

Mike Davis directs his teammates around the Falcons’ basket in the second quarter.

Varinder Singh attempts to keep Hardeep Braich from shooting or passing.

Bernie Love, the Kwantlen Eagle’s Head Coach for the men’s team, provides motivation as the fourth quarter winds down.

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