VICTORIA, B.C. - The University of Victoria Vikes men & women's basketball teams begin their 2015-16 CIS campaigns on the road against Trinity Western Nov. 6-7. Both teams boast new-look rosters but enter the Canada West with several pre-season games under their belt.
The Vikes women are led by head coach
Dani Sinclair and went a combined 5-3 in the pre-season, including a 2-1 record at the Red Bird Classic at the McGill Sports Centre in Montreal, Que. As anticipated, veteran forward
Jenna Bugiardini has stepped up to carry the bulk of the scoring duties, while second-year guards
Kristy Gallagher and
Amira Giannattasio have continued to show their abilities offensively.
The Vikes ended their pre-season on the right note with a 78-71 victory over Canada West newcomers the MacEwan Griffins. A Bugiardini double-double and 18 points and 14 rebounds from fourth year
Nicole Karstein will likley help the Vikes carry momentum into the regular season.
The Vikes women graduated senior stand-out point guard Cassandra Goodis, leaving coach Sinclair with a starting line-up that will rely on the veteran leadership of forwards Bugiardini and Karstein, along with last year's league CIS Rookie of the Year Giannattasio and fellow guards Gallagher and Jenna Krug. Among newcomers expected to contribute are provincial juvenile team members Marissa Dheensaw and Avery Snider."I think we've shown that we can score," says Vikes women's basketball head coach Dani Sinclair of her team through their first challenges in pre-season. "But on the other end of the floor, we need to keep the ball in front of us and then rebound, because we've struggled in that department so far this season. We need to have more of an aggressive mindset on the boards."
On the men's side, expect a young Vikes side that will make some steps this season after a 4-7 record in the pre-season. Vikes head coach Craig Beaucamp emphasized the importance of a growth midset in the pre-season as the team transitions from the loss of some key players this year.
Without CIS All-Canadian and Canada West MVP Chris McLaughlin and 2014-15 point guard Marcus Tibbs in the line up this season, the Vikes will look towards Mack Roth, Justin Kinnear, Grant Sitton and Hayden Lejeune to step up, alongside former Canada West Defensive Player of the Year and guard Reiner Theil. Former Vike Brandon Dunlop returns for his fifth season while undertaking graduate studies and his experience will likely be a key factor for this season. Recruit Joshua Charles, a Cowichan product, is a new face in the Vikes lineup that will look to make an impact in his first season for the Vikes.
"I like the fact that we can play bigger," said Beaucamp. "So one of the things that we've been doing a lot of in the last few games is we're switching a lot of things, switching a lot of ball screens, and just kind of able to eliminate some penetration. We've got a lot of guys who are 6-4 or 6-5, so we have the luxury to offset a lack of quickness and utilize that length."
Friday's games begin with the women at 6:00 p.m. and the men at 8:00 p.m., while on Saturday the women play at 5:00 p.m. and the men at 7:00 p.m., respectively. All games both men and women's are available with live video and stats at canadawest.tv.
