Vancouver, B.C. – The No. 1-ranked University of Victoria men's basketball team defeated No. 2 University of British Columbia, 91-81, to complete the weekend sweep, Nov. 16 at War Memorial Gym.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Vikes hold edge in back-and-forth first half
- A three-pointer from Sam Maillet opened the game scoring. The two sides traded baskets until a Griffin Arnatt three and Ethan Boag dunk gave the Vikes a five-point lead, 10-5, with 7:48 to go.
- 11-straight points from UBC put the home side in front, 18-13, until a Geoffrey James layup and Renoldo Robinson and-one tied the game, 18-18. James hit a three in the next Vikes possession to put Victoria back on top, 21-18, with 2:37 to go in the first.
- Three's from James and Robinson in the final 90 seconds put the Vikes ahead, 27-21, at the end of the first quarter.
- While the Vikes' lead remained intact for most of the second quarter, a 15-2 run by UBC put the home side back in front, 45-44, with 34 seconds to play.
- A three in response from Aaron Tesfagiorgis sent the Vikes into halftime with a narrow 47-45 lead.
Vikes able to handle UBC offensive spurts to close out win
- Out of the break, a 9-0 Vikes run restored their double-digit lead, coming via Robinson jumper and three, Maffia free throws and a Maillet layup to put the Vikes in front, 61-49, five minutes in.
- Back-to-back three's from UBC closed the third quarter scoring, bringing the Vikes' lead down to four, 65-61, at the end of the third.
- The beginning of the fourth quarter saw UBC tie the game, 67-67, but five-straight points from Maffia gave the Vikes a 72-67 cushion with eight minutes to go in the final frame.
- Victoria's lead hit double-digits once again with three's from James and Maffia in consecutive Vikes possession for the 81-70 score with 5:48 to play.
- The Vikes kept the Thunderbirds at bay for the final minutes of the game, coming away with the 91-81 win.
WORTH NOTING
- Maffia led the Vikes with 25 points, adding four rebounds, three assists, and two steals in the win. Maffia is now six points away from tying the Vikes all-time league scoring record of 1,657 points, currently held by Spencer McKay.
- Four Vikes finished the night with three made three-pointers: Maffia, Griffin Arnatt, Renoldo Robinson, and Geoffrey James.
- Robinson finished with 18 points on the night, followed by James with 11. Ethan Boag tallied 10 points to round out the double-digit scoring performances for the Vikes.
- Aaron Tesfagiorgis led the Vikes with eight rebounds, adding eight points, three assists, and two steals in the win.
- The Vikes remain undefeated at 6-0 with the win, while UBC moves to 4-2.
UP NEXT
The Vikes head to Fraser Valley for the final games of their 2024 slate, Nov. 22-23. Catch the games on
Canada West TV presented by BioSteel.