VICTORIA – The University of Victoria women's basketball closed out a 73-69 win over the University of Northern British Columbia, Nov. 8 at CARSA Performance Gym.
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
UNBC holds lead through first quarter

• The Timberwolves knocked down back-to-back three's to open the game, taking a 6-3 lead over the Vikes with 8:38 to play in the first frame.
• With just under six minutes to go in the first, Natalie Allison brought the Vikes back within one, 8-7, with a three.
• UNBC's lead to grew to as big as six, 17-11, with three minutes to go, but the Vikes fought back, with Tegan Michel and Makena Anderson adding jumpers in the final minute of play to bring the Timberwolves' lead down to one, 21-20, with nine seconds to go, but a UNBC layup in the final seconds brought the score to 23-20 at the end of the first.

Vikes take the lead, grow it to 12 over second

• The first play out of the break was a three from Michel, bringing the score even at 23-23. A Karis de Paiva jumper and pair of free throws by Anderson gave the Vikes a four-point lead, 27-23, with 7:53 to go until halftime.
• A quick UNBC run pulled the visiting side back within one, 29-28, but a pair of free throws from Michel and one from Avery King followed by a three from Jenna Talib grew the Vikes' lead back to seven, 35-28, at the halfway point of the second quarter.
• Embarking on an 8-0 run over the last two minutes, the  Vikes' lead hit 10 points on an Anderson three with one minute to go in the second and was followed by a jumper from Abigail Becker to give the Vikes a 48-36 lead at the halftime break.

Timberwolves fight back in second half; Vikes hold them off

• A turnaround jumper from Mimi Sigue to start the third quarter put the Vikes ahead, 50-36. However, UNBC would take advantage of a Vikes scoring drought, cutting Victoria's lead to five, 54-49, with five minutes to go in the third frame.
• A tip in from Sigue ended the Vikes scoreless streak, and was followed by a pair of free throws from Becker to bring the Vikes' lead back to five, 59-54, with three minutes to go.
• UNBC scored the final points of the third, but the Vikes held a 61-56 lead after 30 minutes of play. The Timberwolves would continue to fight for the lead as the fourth quarter opened, knocking down a three to make it a two-point game, 61-59.
• Though the Timberwolves would pull within one at different points throughout the fourth quarter, a jumper from Talib and free throw from Sigue in the final 90 seconds sealed the win for the Vikes, 73-69. 

FROM THE COURT – Head coach Carrie Watts
"I think the first half was a really good half for us offensively. We were able to put up 48 points, and one of the things we've been talking about as a team is playing with more pace and being more assertive. I think that was certainly the case in the first half- we were able to get downhill, push tempo, and also do that while taking care of the ball, which has also been a big area of focus for us. I think our pace was still okay in the second half, but our turnovers really went through the roof and allowed them [UNBC] a lot of easy opportunities and got us behind a bit defensively when we're not able to get set and we're in chase mode on the turnovers. Crazy stat from the free throw line, but I do think that's a bit of a testament to us getting downhill and going to the rim a lot more aggressively than we have been. There's a lot we need to clean up with our offensive execution and defensive communication, but I think it's going to be another good battle for us tomorrow."
 
WORTH NOTING

• Four Vikes finished with double-digit scoring nights: Karis de Paiva (13), Makena Anderson (12), Natalie Allison (12), and Abigail Becker (11).
• de Paiva added 11 rebounds for her first career double-double, also adding a team-high two blocks in the win.
• Mimi Sigue had a nine-point, 11-rebound night, tying de Paiva for the game-high in rebounds.
• Six Vikes finished with two assists each.
• The Vikes move to 2-1 on the year with the win, while UNBC moves to 1-2.

UP NEXT
The Vikes and Timberwolves match up again tomorrow, Nov. 9 at 5 p.m. at CARSA Performance Gym. Get your tickets here or catch the game on Canada West TV.