VICTORIA – Picking up their first home win of the season, the University of Victoria women's basketball team defeated UBCO, 84-73, Nov. 5, inside CARSA Performance Gym. The Heat came away with a 80-75 win, Nov. 6 to end the series.
 
WEEKEND THOUGHTS FROM HEAD COACH CARRIE WATTS
On the competition: "This was the first weekend that we played an opponent back-to-back. I think it presents a bit of a different challenge- and it did last weekend when we had two different opponents- to prepare for the weekend. It really does emphasize the need to play a full 40 minutes and give a consistent, defensive effort. Saturday, we got off to a great start in the third quarter and put together a nice little run where we were able to get some stops and get out and get running, but we weren't able to sustain that discipline defensively. We just have to make sure we have sustained effort on some of those areas that are really important.""
 
On getting to play at home: "It was exciting! We were on the road for the last two weekends with our exhibition tournament, so it's nice for the team to be able to get in to a routine at home, and also to play in front of a lot of their friends and family and give them an opportunity to see some of the hard work we're putting in. It's always great to be at home, it was great crowd last night and today. It was nice to have that."

Game one: Victoria 84, UBCO 73 
November 5, 2021
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
1st Quarter – UVic 25, UBCO 14

• The Vikes and Heat traded buckets for first five minutes of play, reaching a 9-9 score.
• Over the next two minutes, the Vikes would go on a 10-0 run  to take a 19-9 lead.
• Keeping distance between their opponent, the Vikes would extend their lead to as much as 12, 25-13, with just under a minute to go, before ending the quarter ahead by 11, 25-14.

2nd Quarter – UVic 48, UBCO 35

• Opening on a 7-0 run, the Vikes would take an 18-point, 35-17 lead. However, UBCO would score 12 unanswered of their own to pull within six, 35-29, with just under four minutes to go in the half.
• UVic would score the final seven points during the last minute and half on a layup by Ashlyn Day, free throws from Mimi Sigue, and a three ball from Day to take a 13-point lead into the break, 48-35.

3rd Quarter – UVic 66, UBCO 54

• A UBCO jumper opened the second half of play, but was met with a three from Day to put the Vikes up 14, 51-37.
• UBCO would again try and trim UVic's lead with a three pointer and pair of free throws, bringing the Heat within seven, 59-52, with just over four minutes to play.
• The attempt would go no further, as a free throw from Day and three from Tana Pankratz in consecutive possessions would keep the Vikes ahead by 11, 63-52.
• Sierra Reisig would bring the Vikes' lead to 12 with a buzzer-beating three point shot to send the game to the fourth quarter with Victoria up, 66-54.

4th Quarter – UVic 84, UBCO 73

• Threatening with a comeback in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, the Heat would start with seven unanswered points over the first three minutes to pull within five, 66-61.
• However, with about six and a half minutes to go, a layup from Day would send the Vikes on a scoring run of their own, tallying nine to the Heat's one for a 76-62 lead halfway through the final frame.
• UVic would not let UBCO come within double digits for the remainder of the game, sealing the 11-point win, 84-73.

 
WORTH NOTING

• Day finished with another over-20 point performance, tallying 27 in the Friday night matchup while adding five rebounds
• Pankratz posted the second-most points on the Vikes for the second-straight night, adding 18 with five rebounds and one block.
• Sigue and Abigail Becker led the home team on the boards, picking up 11 and 10, respectively.
• The Vikes' depth showed, scoring 18 bench points compared to the Heat's four on the night.

 
Game two: UBCO 80, Victoria 75
November 6, 2021
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
1st Quarter – UBCO 23, UVic 16

• UBCO scored the first points of the game, leading 7-2 after the first two minutes. At the halfway point, the Vikes trailed the Heat, 11-7.
• The Vikes were unable to make up ground in the first quarter, finishing the first 10 minutes down, 23-16.

2nd Quarter – UBCO 39, UVic 33

• Similar to the first quarter, the teams traded points back-and-forth, keeping the spread.
• The Vikes outscored the Heat by a point, 17-to-16, to cut the lead to six.

3rd Quarter – UVic 55, UBCO 55

• Coming out firing, Ashlyn Day opened the third with a three-pointer on the first possession of the half, and was followed with another three from Calli McMillan to tie the game, 39-39, in the first minute of play.
• The Vikes took their first lead of the game the following possession on a fast break layup from Day, 41-39.
• Scoring in the first five consecutive possessions to open the third, Aleah Ashlee made a layup and Tana Pankratz sunk a three for the 46-39 Vikes lead with 7:24 remaining, forcing UBCO to take a timeout.
• McMillan would give the Vikes the first 10-point lead of the game, knocking down a three pointer from nearly out of bounds for the 49-39 Vikes advantage with 6:35 to go.
• UBCO would then force Vikes stops and go on a scoring run, pulling within two, 55-53, with 1:15 to play.
• The Heat managed to tie the game in final 10 seconds of the quarter with a jump shot, 55-55.

4th Quarter – UBCO 80, UVic 75

• The Heat took the lead back to open the quarter, making their first couple shots and taking a 60-55 lead.
• A bucket from Day would get the Vikes on the board in the fourth, and begin UVic's run to tie the game, 65-65, finshing with just under five minutes to play.
• UBCO would be able to maintain control, despite the Vikes' best efforts. Three made free throws from Pankratz would make the score 77-74 in favour of the visitors, while a layup from Ashlee in the final seconds would pull the Vikes back within three, 78-75.
• However, with less than three seconds on the clock, the Heat would make both free throw attempts and seal the game, 80-75. 

WORTH NOTING

• The Vikes sit at 2-2 on the young season after the first two weekend of competition.
• Ashlee recorded the team's first double-double of the Canada West season, with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
• Pankratz led UVic in scoring, totaling 20 points on the afternoon. McMillan led the Vikes from three-point land with a team-high four made three's. 
• All eight players that stepped on the court for the Vikes scored at least two points.

UP NEXT
The Vikes head to Trinity Western University for a pair of games against Trinity Western University, Nov. 12-13, in Langley, B.C.