VICTORIA, B.C. -
Craig Beaucamp's UVic Vikes men's basketball team kicks off the 2011 portion of the regular season with a daunting task in containing forward Jacob Doerksen and the No. 7 nationally ranked Trinity Western Spartans on Jan. 7 (8 p.m.) and Jan. 8 (7 p.m.).
Led by Doerksen, who is fourth in the nation averaging 22.3 points per game along with 7.8 rebounds per game, the Spartans have won their last 10 games and are undefeated on the road. Their only two losses in the regular season came at home on Oct. 29 and 30 to UBC.
The Vikes (7-5, T-3 in Canada West), however, are coming off a successful holiday break with a 2-1 record against NAIA opponents.
Beaucamp said the exhibition games were a good way of wiping off the rust of a one-month break between late November and late December and gave the team a chance to face some stiff competition.
The Vikes defeated Vanguard, 78-70, and San Diego Christian, 61-48, after falling to Biola in their first game in over a month, 65-50. In the loss to Biola, starter
Wendell Thomas and teammate
Reese Pribilsky sat out due to nagging injuries. They both returned for the wins over Vanguard and San Diego Christian.
"It was a great week for us. The NAIA Division 1 has some good teams and the level of play was really good. Biola is probably one of the better teams we have played this year and one of the better teams out of the GSAC," Beaucamp said. "It might have been better if we'd played them in our second or third game of the tour, we were down by six points at the half and down by eight with 10 minutes left to play."
Beaucamp said playing with a 35-second shot clock made it difficult for the Vikes to catch up.
"It allowed them to delay the pace and slow down the game when they were up. We were playing defence for long stretches at times. It was an adjustment," Beaucamp said. "The games were just what we needed and now we will prepare to be challenged by one of the best teams in the country."
That team is the Canada West leading Spartans.
"They shoot the ball well and the are one of the top three or four teams in the country," Beaucamp said. "They have veteran players and they are big. They pose matchup problems for us and size wise they will make it difficult for us to rebound."
The Vikes are currently in a five-way tie for third spot in the Canada West, the Vikes won four of their last five Canada West league games to cap off the 2010 portion of the regular season, including a 93-91 overtime road win at Alberta.
Beaucamp said his squad has settled into a Princeton-style high-post offence and began to show signs of settling into a good offensive rhythm in the holiday-break games.
"To start the season we probably dropped a couple of games we should have won," he said. "On the weekend we will have to shoot well to be successful and we have to find ways to get better to win."
The Vikes will honour the UVic men's rugby team for their May, 2010, Rounsefell Cup win over Merlaoma at Wallace Field as CDI Premier Division champions. Fans are encouraged to stay in their seats for this special presentation.
GAME INFORMATION
Tickets: http://www.govikesgo.com/sports/2009/7/1/tickets.aspx?id=3
Live Stats: http://www.govikesgo.com/sports/2010/9/25/livestats.aspx
Live Video: http://www.sportscanada.tv/index.php/uvic-vikes-athletics
Live Blogs:
Jan. 7 - http://www.govikesgo.com/news/2011/1/5/MBB_0105115054.aspx
Jan. 8 - http://www.govikesgo.com/news/2011/1/5/WBB_0105115525.aspx
SCHEDULE
Friday Jan 7
WBB: Trinity Western at UVic, 6 p.m. (McKinnon Gymnasium)
MBB: Trinity Western at UVic, 8 p.m. (McKinnon Gymnasium)
Saturday Jan. 8
WBB: Trinity Western at UVic, 5 p.m. (McKinnon Gymnasium)
MBB: Trinity Western at UVic, 7 p.m. (McKinnon Gymnasium)
NOTE: Vikes to make special presentation to 2010 men's rugby team for winning Rounsefell Cup at half of men's game
