VICTORIA – The University of Victoria men's basketball team became one step closer to defending their 2022 conference title, defeating the University of British Columbia, 91-83, in the Canada West semifinals, Feb. 24 at CARSA Performance Gym.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Vikes opened with 11 unanswered points, holding UBC scoreless until the 6:44 mark of the first quarter to bring the score to 11-2 in favour of the Vikes.
- After a 6-0 run pulled the Thunderbirds within six, 17-11, with 1:32 to play, the 'Birds knocked down two more baskets to make it a 17-15 game with Victoria still in front after the first quarter.
- Dominick Oliveri grabbed the first bucket of the second quarter for UVic, but was met with an 8-0 Thunderbirds run that gave UBC its first lead of the night, 27-25, with 6:03 until halftime.
- Six-straight points from Jaden Touchie via three free throws and a three-pointer put the Vikes back in front, 36-34, with 2:25 remaining in the frame.
- Ethan Boag sunk a three in the final seconds to send the game into halftime tied, 43-43.
- A quick 5-0 run from the Thunderbirds put the visiting side ahead, 63-57, with 4:25 to play in the third quarter.
- Four points from Renoldo Robinson on a layup and dunk in the final 30 seconds of the third put the Vikes ahead, 69-65, heading in to the final frame.
- Remaining in front for the entirety of the fourth quarter, the Vikes pulled away with the 91-83 win.
WORTH NOTING
- Robinson led the Vikes with 26 points, adding seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block for the Vikes in the win.
- Oliveri recorded his seventh double-double of the year with a 14-point, 14-rebound effort.
- Elias Ralph, Izzy Helman, and Diego Maffia added double-digit scoring nights with 13, 12, and 10 points, respectively.
- The Vikes improve to 19-3 on the season with the win, also clinching the program's second-straight appearance in the conference championship game.
UP NEXT
The Vikes host the winner of Winnipeg vs. Manitoba next weekend at CARSA Performance Gym. Continue to check govikesgo.com for more information.