A women’s basketball team from a Christian college in Canada just pulled off a major victory—both on the court and in the fight for fairness in women’s sports.

As reported by Breitbart, Columbia Bible College (CBC) in Abbotsford, British Columbia, won its first-ever national championship, despite facing league sanctions for standing against the inclusion of a transgender player in women’s competition.

The controversy erupted when CBC refused to play against Vancouver Island University (VIU) due to the presence of transgender player Harriette Mackenzie on the team.

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The team’s stand resulted in harsh backlash from the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), which accused CBC of violating Mackenzie’s civil rights.

In retaliation, CCAA stripped CBC of its opportunity to host the national tournament, attempting to penalize the school for its beliefs.

In Canada, where national laws force schools to allow transgender athletes to compete under their preferred gender, CBC’s decision sparked a firestorm. Despite the pressure, CBC refused to back down.

Their season-long battle against what they saw as a fundamental unfairness in women’s sports culminated in a hard-fought victory on Saturday.

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The Christian college defeated St. Mary’s University 77-70 to claim the CCAA women’s basketball national championship, as reported by Fox Sports.

While CBC stood firm, it wasn’t alone in its concerns. Across Canada, advocates for women’s sports voiced outrage when Mackenzie was named an All-Canadian for the second time and crowned PACWEST tournament MVP.

The year prior, Mackenzie was also awarded conference player of the year, fueling further debate about the integrity of female competition.

The tension between VIU and CBC only escalated as the season progressed. Mackenzie accused CBC’s head coach, Taylor Claggett, of making negative remarks, including an assertion that Mackenzie “shouldn’t be allowed to play.”

The accusations didn’t stop there. Mackenzie later claimed that CBC players deliberately committed hard fouls to cause injury—an allegation that Claggett flatly denied.

Throughout the ordeal, CBC maintained that its objections had nothing to do with Mackenzie personally but were solely about protecting the safety and fairness of female athletes.

Predictably, VIU rushed to Mackenzie’s defense.

In a statement reported by Fox Sports, VIU condemned what it called “intimidation, harassment, and discrimination,” insisting that all athletes should have the right to compete in a “safe” environment. Meanwhile, CBC fired back, making it clear that the real hostility came from Mackenzie’s camp.

CBC wins 77-70 and the @cbcBearcats are @CCAAsportACSC national champions for the first time ever pic.twitter.com/EHMEeaKnUo

— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) March 15, 2025

The Christian college accused VIU players of launching “personal attacks,” spreading “defamatory comments,” and inciting violence against Claggett.

“Videos and letters posted by members of the VIU women’s basketball team over the past three months have directly violated multiple rules stated in Article 17.2 of the manual,” CBC stated, citing social media posts that contained inflammatory remarks and open hostility toward Claggett.

“Various posts have included ‘personal attacks,’ ‘defamatory comments,’ ‘lack of respect towards the PACWEST’ and led to ‘comments that incite to violence and/or hatred’ directed at our coach.”

CBC asserted that any grievances from VIU should have been handled through official league channels, not weaponized on social media.

Bearcats celebrate with the banner pic.twitter.com/hrVAd0fbXC

— Ben Lypka (@BenLypka) March 16, 2025

Despite the league’s attempts to punish them, CBC refused to cave to pressure, ultimately securing a championship victory that underscored their resilience.

The team’s success sends a clear message: standing up for fairness in women’s sports is worth the fight, even when the system is stacked against you.