Tale of the Weekend
 
VICTORIA – Winners of eight games in a row, the UVic Vikes women's basketball team will remain in Victoria for two more home games this coming weekend, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. and Jan. 27 at 5 p.m., inside the CARSA Performance Gym.
 
The contest on Friday night will be the annual Shoot for the Cure game, a nation wide initiative on behalf of all U SPORTS basketball teams to raise funds and awareness for the Canadian Cancer Society.
 
Saturday night will be a busy one inside CARSA, not only is it a combination of fan appreciation night and Bell Let's Talk night, but the 2017 National Champion women's rugby 7s team will also be honoured at halftime of the men's game.
 
On the court, the action will pit a 12-4 Vikes team that has worked their way into a three-way tie for third in conference against a 1-15 Mount Royal squad that sit in 15th-place.
 
2014 was the last time these two teams met. The Vikes picked up a weekend sweep by scores of 79-55 and 76-51 over the Cougars in the McKinnon Gym.
 
Last Time Out
 
Both of these teams were at home last weekend and while the Vikes added two more wins to remain perfect in 2018, the Cougars dropped a pair of games to the Alberta Pandas.
 
Amira Giannattasio scored 31 and Kristy Gallagher 28 points over the weekend, but it was a true team effort that led the Vikes to a sweep of the UNBC Timberwolves. Tough defence came to the fore in wins of 76-70 and 76-64 over a difficult Timberwolves squad.
 
The Cougars were shutdown by a strong Pandas defence in losses of 73-40 and 69-57 to their provincial rivals.
 
By the Numbers
 
21.1: The Vikes offence is third in the conference, they are averaging over 20 points more per game than the 15th ranked Cougars.
 
10.2: First-year guard Gala Mestres leads the Cougars offensively. The native of Barcelona, Spain has averaged just over ten points in the six games she has played.
 
1033: In just her fourth-year of Canada West play, Giannattasio has already broken the 1,000 points scored mark in her university career.
 
Coach's Take
Dani Sinclair, Vikes head coach
 
On Giannattasio's milestone:
"She's a dynamic scorer and can create her own offence, we try to isolate her and get her the ball lots and she's been able to score from day one. I'm really proud of her and how she's developed throughout her career. She does like to score that's for sure, but she's also done a nice job of fitting into the team concept as well. On some teams she would maybe score even more but in our group we have a true team and have lots of other people who are able to put points up on the board. She wants the ball in her hands but she also has a lot of trust in her teammates."
 
"Our team has been able to stay at an even keel no matter who the match up is or what the situation has been. That speaks to the experience of our older kids, they get it and the balance between them and our younger players has been good, and they have played well off of each other. When you have a group of people where the dynamics a pretty fluid then you all have an opportunity to grow. Even though we have a large age-range within our team, they just get the job done no matter who the competition is and that includes practice every day."
 
On the team's current winning streak:
"When I think back to when we were 4-4, the Saturday night against Saskatchewan where we just didn't show up stands out. We had a bye the following week and the chance to sit on that and talk about whether we stayed on that path and be happy with mediocrity, or whether we actually wanted to make something of this. The schedule has probably been in our favour too, but the girls have shown a lot of motivation from that point and have really come together as a team."
 
On Mestres:
"She is still feeling things out so I'm hoping this weekend is not her breakout weekend where she figures out how this league works. She will be a handful, she makes things happen. Her stat sheet fills up quickly, whether it's passing, shooting or rebounding. She can make things happen."
 
"It's a good program in Mount Royal, they are fighting for everything they can get and won't just lay down. Recently they have been in closer games, they will be tough and they are second in the league in rebounding. They are not far off and we have to be mindful of that."
 
Game Info
Friday, Jan. 26 – 6:00 p.m. – vs. Mount Royal Cougars, CARSA Performance Gym – Watch live on canadawest.tv | Buy tickets at govikesgo.com
Saturday, Jan. 27 – 5:00 p.m. – vs. Mount Royal Cougars, CARSA Performance Gym – Watch live on canadawest.tv | Buy tickets at govikesgo.com

Mount Royal Cougars (1-15)
Canada West Standings: 16th
RPI: .3315, 16th
PF: 863
PA: 1201
Last Week: 0-2
Streak: L 4
Last Canada West Title: N/A
Last U SPORTS Title: N/A