VICTORIA – The University of Victoria men's basketball team swept Thompson Rivers University with an 88-55 victory, Feb. 15 at CARSA Performance Gym to close out the 2023-24 Canada West regular season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams started the game on a scoreless streak, going just over two and a half minutes without points before a pair of Diego Maffia free throws put the first points of the game on the board, 2-0, with 7:16 to play in the first quarter.
• Two free throws from Shadynn Smid and a three by Griffin Arnatt put the Vikes ahead 13-7 at the 4:19 mark of the first, paving the way for a 21-13 Vikes lead at the end of the first quarter.
• Thompson Rivers scored nine unanswered in the second quarter, tying the game at 26-26 with just over three minutes remaining until halftime.
• A pair of Renoldo Robinson free throws and a follow-up Robinson three put the Vikes in the lead, 31-26, with 2:16 to play until halftime before a Maffia and-one finalized the second quarter score at 34-26 for the Vikes.
• A quick 8-0 run on two Maffia three-pointers and an Elias Ralph layup opened the third quarter scoring, extending the Vikes' lead to 42-26 at the 8:11 mark of the frame.
• After taking a 20-point lead on an Arnatt three at the five-minute mark, 53-32, the Vikes grew their lead to 65-41 at the end of the third quarter.
• Scoring 23 points to the WolfPack's 14 in the final quarter, the Vikes came away with the 88-55 win.

WORTH NOTING

• Maffia led the game with a 30-point performance, adding six rebounds, five assists and two steals in 29 minutes on the floor.
• Arnatt tallied 18 points in the win, making a game-high six three-pointers.
• Robinson led the Vikes with team-highs in assists (6) and steals (3), also adding 11 points and five rebounds to his stat line in the win.
• The Vikes finish the regular season with a 17-3 overall record, while the WolfPack ends the year at 6-14. 

UP NEXT
The Vikes head to the University of Manitoba for the Canada West playoffs, beginning Wednesday, Feb. 21.