Ottawa – The No. 4-ranked University of Victoria Vikes came just short in their Mar. 8, CIS Final 8 comeback attempt, falling to the No. 1 seeded Ottawa Gee-Gees 78-70. The semifinal loss pits the Vikes against their Canada West rival Alberta Pandas, Mar. 9 at Canadian Tire Place in a bronze medal showdown.
 
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The Vikes received another huge game from fourth-year forward Chris McLaughlin, who put up his second double-double of the tournament with 19 points and 10 rebounds to earn the Vikes' Player of the Game. Fifth-year forward Terrell Evans also put up 19 points, while teammates Reiner Theil and Marcus Tibbs added 15 and ten points, respectively.
 
The Gee-Gees received a game-high 24 points from guard Johnny Berhanemeskel, while teammate Caleb Agada also collected a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards. Gabriel Gonthier-Dub rounded out the top three scorers for Ottawa with 15 points and six boards.
 
Playing in front of their largest crowd this season, the Vikes opened up the semifinal match by draining the first field goal and then exchanging baskets with the Gee-Gees before the opposing side would go on a quick 10-0 run to build an early 15-4 lead.
 
Vikes head coach Craig Beaucamp called a timeout following Ottawa's run that seemed to slow their momentum. McLaughlin would drain a three-pointer and a jumper as the Vikes strung together a quick 5-0 run. A strong second half of the first quarter for the Vikes ended in Ottawa's favour, whose Terry Thomas drained a three-pointer with just a second remaining to end the frame with a 23-11 lead.
 
The Vikes would run into early foul trouble in the second, with Erikson, Tibbs and McLaughlin also receiving calls. Meanwhile, the opportunistic Gee-Gees pulled out to an 18-point lead, their largest of the night.
 
Ottawa took advantage of their opportunities in the first half, finishing with 18 points from beyond the arc and converting on nine of a possible ten points from the line.
 
Despite facing another early deficit, the Vikes managed to keep Ottawa within striking distance, closing out the second quarter with an Evans steal that the senior Vike then took down the floor, finishing with a lay-up.  The Vikes continued to chip away on offence, finishing the half down 41-29. McLaughlin posted 11 points and seven rebounds for the Vikes, while Ottawa's Berhanemeskel posted 10 points and four boards.
 
An 8-0 run by the Vikes to open the second half put the Gee-Gees on their heels, who were only able to answer with a field goal before a Tibbs three-pointer got the Vikes bench to their feet. With momentum swinging in their favour, the Vikes outscored Ottawa 21-14 to head into the final frame down just 55-50.
 
Tibbs opened the fourth with yet another three-pointer to get the Vikes within two, but Ottawa responded with strong offensive push themselves, building a 10-point lead as the quarter reached the halfway point. Needing a big run with under five minutes remaining, Vike Reiner Theil went to opposite sides of the floor to drain back-to-back three's for his side, but the Vikes could not find the big stops they needed down the stretch, while Ottawa continued to capitalize on the big shots they needed to maintain the lead.
 
Despite a valiant attempt, the Vikes would be forced to foul in the remaining minute of the fourth, allowing Ottawa to put up additional points and secure a 78-70 victory to advance to the gold medal match against the Carleton Ravens. The Vikes now face a quick turnaround against the Alberta Golden Bears, Mar. 9 at 7:30 a.m., PST in the bronze medal match at the Canadian Tire Centre.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
UofO: 23-18-14-23: 78
VIC:11-18-21-20: 70
 
SCORING LEADERS
UofO: J.Berhanemeskel (24), G.Gonthier-Dub (15), C.Agada (12)
VIC: C.McLaughlin (19), T.Evans (19), M.Tibbs (15)
 
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