VICTORIA, B.C. – Coming off a weekend sweep over the University of Northern British Columbia Timberwolves, the University of Victoria Vikes women's basketball team is looking to improve their playoff hosting chances as they travel to Calgary, Feb. 8-9, to take on CIS newcomers the Mount Royal University Cougars.
 
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In their double-header series against the Timberwolves last weekend, Feb. 1-2, the Vikes took games one and two 65-48 and 82-66, respectively. Fifth-year Vikes Debbie Yeboah (Winnipeg, MB) and Chelsea McMullen (Prince George, B.C.) were consistent contributors with weekend points totals of 35 and 31 apiece.
 
The Cougars are currently seventh in the Pacific Division of Canada West with a 5-13 record while the Vikes sit in fourth place with a guaranteed playoff berth and a 13-5 record. The Vikes are hoping to win out in their remaining four regular season games to secure home team advantage for the quarter-finals.
 
Against the Timberwolves, Victoria's Shaylyn Crisp (Victoria, B.C.) was a sparkplug for the Vikes coming off of the bench. Crisp finished with 15 points and six rebounds in game two of the Timberwolves series.
 
“Shaylyn played more aggressively, attacked the basket more and she was more confident with her shot,” said Dani Sinclair, associate coach of the Vikes women's basketball team. “It wasn't just about hitting shots but also her rebounding and her defense. We need that from her every game and last Saturday night should be a real confidence booster for her going into our games against MRU.”
 
As seniors Yeboah and McMullen continue to sink critical shots for the Vikes, third-year Jessica Renfrew (Victoria, BC) has also been a key factor as she boasts a scoring percentage of .503 and averages 12.8 points per game.
 
Also playing a pivotal role is Vikes rookie Tessla Rennie (Red Lodge, MT), a transfer student from Washington's Everett Community College. Averaging 4.7 rebounds per game with a field goal percentage of .500, Rennie is emerging as a key component of the Vikes' offence. 
 
In their most recent set of games, Feb. 1-2, MRU were handed two losses by the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. Top scorer for the Cougars has been third-year Hilary Annich, with an average of 11.1 points per game. Fellow third-year hoopster Kristen Docherty will be another one to watch out for as her aggressive style of play has landed her a team-high rebounding average of 5.5 per game.

The University of Victoria Vikes women's basketball team travels to Calgary to take on the Mount Royal University Cougars Feb. 8 and 9 at 5:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. PST. Watch live online at http://uvic.canadawest.tv.