Quebec City, Que. – A last-minute comeback effort by the University of Victoria men's basketball team was not enough to overtake Université Laval, as the Vikes fell in the quarterfinal round of the U SPORTS Final 8, 75-69, March 9 at the PEPS-Amphithéâtre Desjardins.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Though Laval won the tip, the Vikes started the game by getting a stop on defence and followed with a three from Elias Ralph for the first points of the game, giving UVic a 3-0 lead with 9:30 to go in the opening frame.
• Laval would score the next four points before a jumper from Diego Maffia put UVic back on top, 5-4, with 6:44 to go in the first.
• Though a Maffia three brought the Vikes back within two, 13-11, at the 3:27 mark of the first, Laval would score the final eight points of the quarter to hold a 21-11 lead after the first quarter of play.
• Five-straight Vikes points on a Maffia jumper and Aaron Tesfagiorgis three cut Laval's lead to seven, 23-16, and led to the Rouge et Or calling a timeout at the 8:36 mark of the second quarter.
• Adding a pair of free throws and a layup from Renoldo Robinson out of the timeout, the Vikes pulled back within five, 25-20, with 7:24 to go in the second.
• A five-point Maffia run via three-pointer and layup made it a two-point game, 27-25, with 5:34 to go.
• Back-and-forth for the remainder of the quarter, the Rouge et Or remained ahead and held a 36-32 lead at the half.
• Though the Rouge et Or scored the first basket of the second half, Ralph responded with a three in the next Vikes possession to bring Laval's lead down to 38-35 with 9:42 to go in the third.
• A Laval run brought the host's lead back to double-digits, 50-37, resulting in a Vikes timeout with 6:10 to go.
• Bringing the gap back down to single-digits after the timeout, a Maffia layup followed by a pair of free throws by Ralph and one from Robinson made it 50-42 with 3:49 to go.
• After a Laval three was met with an and-one from Shadynn Smid, the Vikes added two more Robinson free throws and a tip-in from Griffin Arnatt at the buzzer to bring Laval's lead to 56-49 at the end of the third quarter.
• Laval's lead grew to 13, 62-49, at the 7:04 mark of the fourth quarter, but a six-point run from Maffia and Smid jumpers and a Tesfagiorgis layup made it a seven-point game, 62-55, with 5:37 to go.
• Robinson's layup, followed by his first three of the night brought the Vikes within eight, 72-64, and was succeeded by a long Maffia three and layup to make it a three-point game, 72-69, with 51 seconds to go.
• Unable to put any more points on the board in the final minute, the Vikes fell to Laval, 75-69.

WORTH NOTING

• The Vikes' 22-of-67 (32.8%) field goal shooting was their lowest shooting percentage of the season.
• Robinson earned U SPORTS Player of the Game honours following a 16-point performance, adding two rebounds and two assists for the Vikes.
• Maffia finished the night with a game-high 26 points along with four rebounds and two assists.
• Ralph added a double-digit scoring performance with 11 points, along with six rebounds.
• Smid led the Vikes in rebounds with 11, adding seven points for Victoria.
• The Vikes move to 20-4 overall on the season with the loss. 

UP NEXT
The Vikes will face the loser of Brock vs. Dalhousie in the consolation semifinal tomorrow, March 9 at 3 p.m. ET.