Box Score VICTORIA, B.C. - The University of Victoria Vikes men's basketball team started the 16th Annual Graham Shootout with a win, 63-41, over the Nipissing Lakers, at the PAC in Saskatoon, Sask. The Saskatchewan University-hosted tournament also features MacEwan and hosts, the Huskies.

BOX SCORE

This is the first appearance for the Vikes at this event since 2005, when they also won the title. Success continued for the 2014 Vikes squad as fourth-year point guard Marcus Tibbs led in scoring wth 17 points, while fifth-year transfer Jeremy Leonard-Smith totalled 11. The Vikes earned a 20-4 opening quarter score margin, allowing the entire bench to log important pre-season minutes.

Nipissing had a 10-point game from Jordan Campbell, while Marcos Clennon was the next highest scoring Laker with seven points. The Lakers had a tough time handling last season's CIS No. 4-ranked team, shooting 27.8 per cent from the field and earning only nine offensive rebounds.

"I thought we had a good start and a good fourth quarter but In the middle we lost our concentration at times," said Craig Beaucamp, Vikes head caoch. "Everybody played today though. We had 11 people get in, which is a positive. Marcus played well overall today and Reiner had nine rebounds for us."

The Vikes came out of the gate with a strong offensive push, getting out in front by as much as 16 at the end of the quarter. Tibbs put up seven points in the opening frame as the Vikes allowed only for points against. The Vikes went on to out-score the Lakers 14-9 in the second quarter, despite going 2-for-13 from the beyond the arc and 41 per cent from the field.  

Tibbs totalled 11 points after 20 minutes of play, while Patrick Pilato came off the bench to drain two three-pointers. The Vikes led 34-13 at the break.

In the third frame Nipissing started to find their scoring touch, out-scoring the Vikes 20-14. Campbell opened the scoring with a three-pointer, and totalled 10 of the Lakers' 20 points in that frame. The Vikes were held off the scoring board for the last four mintues of the third quarter.

In the final stretch the Vikes came back to score 21 points, as Grant Sitton put up a quick four points mid-way through the frame to steer Victoria towards the win. Leonard-Smith drained the final five points for the Vikes who were 41.3 per cent from the field, 19 per cent from distance and 70 per cent from the line. The Vikes conceded 16 turnovers and out-rebounded the Lakers 44-34. 

The Vikes were without fifth-year forward Chris McLaughlin, who suffered a minor injury on the day. Up next Victoria will play MacEwan at 4 p.m. Pacific. The game will not be broadcast but more information about the Graham Shootout is available at grahamshootout.com.

SCORING SUMMARY
NIP: 4-9-20-8 : 41
UVIC: 20-14-8-21: 63

SCORING LEADERS
NIP: Jordan Campbell (10), Marcos Clennon (7), Michael Angenent (4)
UVIC: Marcus Tibbs (17), Jeremy Leonard-Smith (11), Mack Roth (10)