VICTORIA - The University of Victoria Vikes women's basketball team dropped their final regular season game of the 2010-11 schedule, 71-61, to the UBC Thunderbirds.

Next the Vikes (15-9) travel to play the best-of-three Canada West quarter-final series in Saskatchewan against the Regina Cougars (19-5) beginning on Feb. 25. The Thunderbirds will face the Alberta Pandas in their Canada West quarter-final series.

BOX SCORE

Appropriately on graduating players night, it was senior Vanessa Forstbauer who led the Vikes with a terrific performance with a game-high 16 points along with nine rebounds and four steals.

"We learned we have to play a full 40 minutes especially as we get into the playoffs," she said. "We let them go on runs, I think at one point they had a 10-0 run, and we cannot do that."

The Vikes honoured three graduating seniors - Forstbauer, #Jane Anholt# and #Kayla Dykstra# - in a post-game ceremony. Forstbauer was aggressive, going up for every missed shot she could fight for on the offensive glass.

"I just see a ball and I contest for it," she said. "They're anyone's to win."

UVic led several times, up four points after the opening quarter, 16-14, but gave up 27 second-quarter points.

Back-to-back threes from UBC's sophomore guard Chloee St. Amour in the final minute of the first half stretched the lead to 37-25. UBC led 39-28 at the half.

The Vikes put together several runs to try to mount a comeback but were unable to get within more than eight points.

Four Thunderbirds players posted double-digit totals in points led by Zara Huntley who had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Lia St. Pierre added 13 points and five boards, while Kris Young scored 12 and Alex Vieweg 10 points respectively.



SCORING BY QUARTER
UBC        12    27    15    17 - 61    
UVic        16    12    15    18 - 71

Up Next
Canada West Quarter-Finals (Best-of-Three Series)
Feb. 26 - UVic at Regina, 7 p.m. (5 p.m. PST)
Feb. 27 - UVic at Regina, 7 p.m. (5 p.m. PST)
Feb. 28 - UVic at Regina, 3 p.m. (1 p.m. PST)