VICTORIA - The top-seeded and two-time defending Canada West champions University of Victoria men's basketball team begins postseason play in the quarterfinal round of the Canada West playoffs, Feb. 22, against the winner of eighth-seeded Brandon University and ninth-seeded University of Saskatchewan.

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Vikes vs. Brandon Bobcats/Saskatchewan Huskies
Thursday, Feb. 22 | 3 p.m. CT
Playoff Semifinals | Saturday, Feb. 24
Playoff Finals | Sunday, Feb. 25
Watch: Canada West TV
Note: All games are held at the Investors Group Athletic Centre (Winnipeg, Man.)

NEWS & NOTES

• Finishing at the top of the table and claiming the No. 1 seed in the bracket, the Vikes enter the playoff tournament with a 17-3 regular season record and on a nine-game win streak, posting a win against Manitoba and series wins against Saskatchewan, Brandon, MacEwan, and Thompson Rivers, Jan. 19-Feb. 15.
• UVic also enters the playoffs as the No. 1-ranked team in U SPORTS, holding the top spot in the final Top 10 poll of the season. The Vikes have not been ranked below No. 2 at any point this season.
• The Vikes will face the winner of No. 8 Brandon (12-8) and No. 9 Saskatchewan (11-9) in the quarterfinal round, Feb. 22. The Bobcats and Huskies face off Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. CT in the play-in round.
• The Vikes have faced both potential opponents this season, sweeping Saskatchewan with 87-42 and 79-58 wins, Jan. 26-27, and defeating Brandon 97-81 and 81-67, Feb. 2-3, with all four games being played at CARSA Performance Gym.
• Victoria enters the tournament with a slew of conference award winners: Player of the Year Diego Maffia, Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Tesfagiorgis, Coach of the Year Craig Beaucamp, and Canada West All-Stars Maffia, Elias Ralph, and Griffin Arnatt.
• Maffia led all players in U SPORTS and Canada West in points per game for the second-straight season with a 26.7 average. A first team all-star selection and two-time player of the year honouree, Maffia also led the team and ranked fourth in Canada West with a 5.2 assist per game average.
• Guiding the Vikes to their third-straight 17-win conference season and a first-place finish in the league, Beaucamp earns Coach of the Year honours for the sixth time in his career. Beaucamp's squad has led the nation with a 92.0 points per game average, and ranked fourth in the conference on defence with a 73.3 points allowed average.
• Tesfagiorgis became the just the fourth Vike in program history to win defensive player of the year, proving his ability to disrupt opponents' plays, anticipate movements, and take charges, elevating the team's defensive performance in a way that has been nothing short of extraordinary. He's added 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game averages over the regular season for the Vikes.
• Ralph earned Canada West Second Team All-Star recognition with a 16.0 points per game average, the second-best on the team, while leading the team in rebounds at 8.4 per game, a mark which ranked eighth in the conference. He also ranked fifth in Canada West with a 46.5% three-point shooting percentage (46-for-99).
• Arnatt collected all-rookie team accolades in his first year as a Vike, averaging 9.0 points per game and adding a 6.1 rebounds per game average and 40-for-88 three-point shooting, posting a 45.5% three-point shooting percentage for second-best on the Vikes men's team over 20 games.
• The Vikes will go for the "three-peat" in Winnipeg, looking to defend their 2021-22 and 2022-23 conference banners.