VICTORIA –The University of Victoria Vikes women's basketball team will aim for their fifth and sixth wins in a row as they head on the road to face both the Calgary Dinos and Lethbridge Pronghorns, Jan. 31-Feb. 1. Having secured a spot in this year's playoffs, the women will now turn their focus towards a first-place finish in the Pacific Division.
SCHEDULE /
ROSTER
Last weekend, the 11-5 Vikes dominated the last-place Cougars in back-to-back matches, winning 79-55 and 76-51 over a Mount Royal squad that was without second-year standout Jordan Maclean who was injured early in the weekend's opening match.
Four Vikes hit double-digits in their opening match against Mount Royal, including scoring leader
Jessica Renfrew. The fourth-year forward has become a key component of the Vikes offence for head coach Dani Sinclair, putting up 13.4 points-per-game and 212 points overall this season to lead her squad. In total, the Vikes feature six players with 100-plus points this season.
"Our offensive contributors have been spread out this season," said Sinclair. "We've moved the ball really well and have a strong inside presence in
Sarah Semeniuk and
Nicole Karstein."
After losing their previous two matches, the Dinos will be looking to reverse their fortunes and pull out a win against the Vikes as they cling to the fourth spot in the Prairie Division. Fifth-year guard Tamara Jarrett leads her squad in scoring with an average of 13.9 points-per-game and 223 points on the season. Teammates Kristie Sheils and Jessica Theilen round out the Dinos top-3 scorers, with Theilen also leading the team in rebounds, averaging 7.3 per-game.
The Pronghorns have stumbled in the second-half of January, losing their last four games and dropping to second-last in the Prairie Divison. Home court has not been an advantage for the Lethbridge squad, who are 2-6 at home this season. Kim Veldman heads up the offence for the Pronghorns, averaging 19.2 points-per-game and 288 points overall, while teammate Mariah Miller is second with 153 points. Alli Cameron is third on the team with 146 points, despite playing in just 10 games this season.
"We're playing two very good teams this weekend," said Sinclair. "Calgary plays a high-tempo, high-pace style and they like to push the ball in transition. The Pronghorns feature two of the best players in the conference in Vedldman and Cameron. They are two highly competitive players who can carry the team."
The Vikes will look to continue their current win streak when they face Calgary and Lethbridge, Jan. 31-Feb.1 at 5:00 and 4:00 p.m., respectively. Both games will be broadcast live on canadawest.tv.
