The University of Victoria Vikes hit 10 three-pointers and were effective in the paint, as their balanced offence guided them to a 85-79 win in the second game of the best-of-three Canada West quarter-finals series in Edmonton.
With the victory, the Vikes force the third and deciding game in Alberta on Saturday at 2 p.m. PST.
The winner will advance to the Canada West Final Four next weekend.
#
Ryan MacKinnon# led the Vikes with a game-high 20 points and seven rebounds, while #
Michael Berg# scored 18 points and #Wendall Thomas# 15 points in the win.
Berg, Thomas and #
Pierce Anderson# also had six rebounds each. UVic shot 60 per cent from the floor and 50 per cent from beyond the arc.
Daniel Ferguson paced the Golden Bears with 29 points, while Jordan Baker added 22 points and six rebounds.
The Vikes led through most of the contest, but Alberta kept it close early.Ferguson scored 11 of Alberta's first 18 points including a ridiculously long three-pointer, but Robert Dewar picked up two quick fouls and was forced to the bench early. The Vikes led 21-20 after the first quarter.
UVic stretched the lead to 17 points in the second quarter on a 17-0 run to start the period with three-pointers by MacKinnon and #
Jeff Cullen#. An effective zone defence with a variety of full- and half-court pressures on the ball held Alberta scoreless for the first 5:21 of the quarter and to just 10 points in the frame to lead 40-30 at the half.
The Bears cut the lead to four points after some effective pressure looks of their own, but the Vikes re-established their inside scoring to restore a 10-point lead late in the third quarter.
A #
Jeff Spoor# trey late in the third quarter restored a 10-point lead to enter the fourth. Spoor finished with 11 points.
A three-pointer from #
Marco Dolcetti# pushed the lead to 15 points again two minutes into the fourth quarter; the outside bomb proved to be a momentum-changer.
The Vikes scored in transition and were able to close out the game at the charity stripe to hold on to win.
SCORING BY QUARTER
UVic 21 19 22 23 - 85
Alberta 20 10 22 27 - 79
