Tale of the Weekend
VICTORIA – Locked in a tight race for playoff positioning in the Canada West conference, the UVic Vikes men's basketball team will host the Northern British Columbia Timberwolves on Jan. 19 and 20 on the Ken and Kathy Shields court, inside the CARSA Performance Gym.
The action gets underway on Friday night at 8 p.m., before the teams turn around and do battle Saturday night at 7 p.m. The games are the first of five home games in a row and will pit an 8-6 Vikes team that is currently seventh in the conference against a 7-9 UNBC squad that occupy the second to last playoff spot in 11th.
These two teams have not met since all the way back in the 2013-14 season, when the Vikes swept the Timberwolves by scores of 85-57 and 93-67 en route to finishing fourth in the nation at the CIS Final 8.
Last Time Out
Both of these teams were on the road last weekend, playing against tough opposition in Manitoba.
Two important wins afforded the Vikes a little bit of breathing room in the race to qualify for the post-season.
Hayden Lejeune scored 15 points in the Vikes 81-76 victory over the Manitoba Bisons, while
Scott Kellum led the way with 27 points in their 86-76 triumph over Manitoba on the very next day.
UNBC meanwhile, split a pair of games against the Brandon Bobcats. The Timberwolves couldn't keep the momentum going from a series opening 85-79 win, falling 89-76 in the second game. Volodymyr Pluzhnikov led UNBC with 37 points on the weekend.
By the Numbers
36.1: The Vikes sharpshooters have been dialed in from long distance this season, their three-point percentage is the second-highest in the conference.
4: Since the Timberwolves began competing at the Canada West level in 2012-13, the Vikes have won all four games that the teams have played.
6: Much like the Vikes, the Timberwolves employ a balanced attack. They have six athletes averaging nine points a game or more.
Coach's Take
Craig Beaucamp, Vikes head coach
"All the games at this time of year are important for everybody. They are playing well, they are coming off a good road trip themselves where they split in Brandon and arguably had a chance to win both games. We know that they will be tough."
"They have good balance and shoot the ball well. Todd (Jordan, UNBC head coach) does a really good job with them both offensively and defensively. They are organized and don't beat themselves, they don't turn the ball over and compete night in and night out, it will be a battle for sure."
"When the games got close (in Manitoba) we just looked back to the weekend before and were determined not to let those games slip away. Learning how to win tight games is a skill and hopefully we can take away a little bit of that because there are obviously going to be some close games down the stretch."
On the recent play of
Hayden Lejeune
"Hayden has had some really good weekends for us in the last few weekends. He brought a lot of energy, rebounded the ball and looks like he's totally healthy for the first time in a little bit so hopefully he can continue to perform down the stretch."
Game Info
Friday, Jan. 19 – 8:00 p.m. – vs. UNBC Timberwolves, CARSA Performance Gym – Watch live on canadawest.tv | Buy tickets at govikesgo.com
Sunday, Jan. 20 – 7:00 p.m. – vs. UNBC Timberwolves, CARSA Performance Gym – Watch live on canadawest.tv | Buy tickets at govikesgo.com
Northern British Columbia Timberwolves (7-9)
Canada West Standings: 11th
RPI: .4620: 13th
PF: 1264
PA: 1314
Last Week: 1-1
Streak: L 1
Last Canada West Title: N/A
Last U SPORTS Title: N/A
