VICTORIA – Senior and Victoria-native Brandon Dunlop hit five three-pointers to carry the University of Victoria Vikes men's basketball team 74-71 over the UBC Thunderbirds in the final regular season game, Feb. 16, at McKinnon Gymnasium. The Vikes completed the sweep over the Birds to improve 16-6, while the Thunderbirds drop to 18-4.
 
BOX SCORE  /  STANDINGS
 
Dunlop was nothing-but-net, as the hometown boy powered his way to a season-high 24 points, after going five-for-seven on three-point shots. Dunlop shot 80 per cent from the field and added three assists and four rebounds in his final regular season game as a Vike. Fourth-year Terrell Evans chipped in for 13 points and five rebounds, while Chris McLaughlin was a big man in the paint with 12 points and five rebounds.
 
Doug Plumb was the hero for the visiting Thunderbirds, as the six-foot-four senior tallied 13 fourth-quarter points to finish the night with 24 points and three assists. O'Brian Wallace added 11 points, while David Wagner and Tommy Nixon each added 10.
 
"It was important that we played well again tonight," said Vikes head coach Craig Beaucamp. "We didn't talk a lot about worrying about winning or losing. It was just about coming out and playing well again after last night's performance. Even if we had lost it down close, we still played a good basketball game."
 
The Vikes led by as much as ten in the opening quarter of play as the crowd-pleasing Evans dazzled in front of full stands for six individual-effort points. The Vikes impressed further, shooting 67 per cent from the field relative to the Thunderbirds' 58. The Vikes picked up 12 points from their bench to lead 23-18 entering the first break.
 
In the second quarter, Dunlop started his trend, draining all three early attempts from beyond the arc resulting in nine second-quarter points. Geoff Pippus made good on his first three-point attempt of the night to put the Birds within two, at 28-26, but an impressive effort in the paint from Evans played neutralizer.
 
With next to no time on the clock Isaiah Solomon picked the pocket of point guard Dunlop to cruise to the hoop for two. The Birds trailed the home side 41-33 entering the half time break.
 
In the third quarter, both teams tightened up the defensive responsibilities as few shots went uncontested. Michael Acheampong opened the third quarter sinking two from the line but the Vikes were unable to capitalize again for another eight minutes. UBC's Plumb did his best efforts to get the Thunderbirds within four until a timely three-pointer from Brin Taylor brought the home team back to life.
 
Less than 30 seconds later, Kyle Peterson made a nifty behind-the-back pass to McLaughlin, who put up a huge dunk to lift the Vikes back up by nine. The Vikes paced the Birds 9-8 in scoring in the third to lead 50-41 entering the final quarter of play.
 
In the fourth, the Birds chipped away at the scoreline, out-scoring the Vikes 30-24 thanks to a stellar performance from UBC fifth year Plumb. All the action was left for the final two minutes of play when Evans went down hard, in the key, requiring Acheampong to go to the line in his place. Acheampong put the Vikes up 69-65.
 
UBC's Nixon had the chance to cut the lead to four as an unsportsmanlike call against the Vikes put the second-year forward at the line for two. Nixon could not convert as play continued back and forth.
 
A foul on an inbound from the sideline with 20 seconds put Dunlop at the line for two. Dunlop rose to the occasion, sinking both buckets to get the Vikes up 71-67. Back to the other end, Plumb was doing all the damage and made good on two from the line after a McLaughlin foul on the play.
 
The Vikes, with a two-point lead again, relied on McLaughlin at the free throw line to lift them 73-69 as seconds continued to feel like minutes. Plumb raced down the court and put in a jumper to give the T-Birds some hope but Dunlop continued his heroics as a UBC foul in bonus put the six-foot-one guard back to the line.
 
Dunlop ended the anticipation, as his security bucket from the line assured a 74-71 Vikes victory after an end-to-end 40 minutes of Canada West basketball at McKinnon Gym. With the win, the Vikes improve to 16-6, while the Birds drop their fourth loss and are now 18-4.
 
Following the night, the Vikes announced an impressive total of $2255.40 raised in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the sixth-annual Shoot for the Cure event.
 
The Vikes will now turn around to host the Manitoba Bisons in the Canada West quarter-finals, a best-of-three series set for Feb. 22-24. Games will go at 7 p.m. on Feb. 22, 7 p.m. Feb. 23 and, if needed, 3 p.m. on Feb. 24. The UBC Thunderbirds will go back across the pond to host the Alberta Golden Bears for their quarter-final round. All games will be broadcast live at canadawest.tv.
 
SCORING BY QUARTER
UVIC: 18-15-8-24 : 74
UBC: 23-18-9-30  : 71
 
SCORING SUMMARY
UVIC: Brandon Dunlop (24), Terrell Evans (13)
UBC: Doug Plumb (24), O'Brian Wallace (11)