Calgary, AB – The No. 1 University of Victoria men's basketball team took down the hosts and No. 8 University of Calgary, 100-86, in the quarterfinals of the U SPORTS Championship on March 6 at the Jack Simpson Gymnasium.
 
Vikes controlled the pace for a high-scoring first quarter.

• To kick off the 2026 U SPORTS Championship, Victoria came out on fire, finding success on all levels of offence. Cam Slaymaker was making a difference early as his toughness was on full display, grabbing boards on the offensive end, leading to second-chance scoring opportunities.
• The Dinos were hanging tough through the first frame, finding success inside the paint to minimize the deficit they were facing. The dynamic bench duo of Ryan Gallagher and Dylan Gage entered and gave the Dinos no break. The pair entered and nailed two quick buckets to close the quarter with the Vikes ahead 26-20.

 
The top-seeded Vikes showed their superiority in the second.

• Victoria began the second quarter fast and ferocious, looking every bit the one seed, building their lead out to 12 points, forcing a Calgary timeout early in the second quarter.
• Both teams engaged in scoring runs, with Victoria prevailing to extend their lead. Shadynn Smid and Ethan Boag found their rhythm by being relentless on the glass and driving to the hoop. The Canada West Player of the Year, Ethan Boag, was creating problems for the Dinos. Their defence was struggling to contain Boag, forcing the defenders into fouls and sending the Vikes' captain to the line seven times in the first half.
• A late 12-0 scoring surge led by Cameron Slaymaker and Geoffrey James allowed the Vikes to close the half with a 24-point lead. The story of the first half was the Vikes' depth. 9 Vikes' players found the scoresheet for an offensive masterclass to start the tournament.

 
The Vikes ran away with the second half.

• Out of halftime, Victoria carried over their momentum from how the first half ended. They were relentless on both ends of the floor, scoring at will and suffocating the Dinos' offence. The Vikes' lead swelled to 35 points at the halfway point in the third quarter.
• The Dinos refused to quit, and they showed fight, closing the quarter on a 20-7 scoring run, cutting the deficit to 22 points as the third came to a close.

 
The Dinos continued to chip away, but the Vikes' lead proved too large to overcome.

• Calgary fought hard, closing the Vikes' lead within 20, but failed to overcome the wide scoring gap that was established through the first three quarters.
• The Vikes hit the 100-point mark for the first time in this postseason as Geoffrey James' 17 points led the Vikes to the quarterfinal win and earned him Player of the Game honours.

 
Victoria punched their ticket to the U SPORTS semifinals as they will await the winner of the No. 4 Acadia vs. No. 5 Bishop's matchup. The semifinal tipoff is set for Saturday, March 7, at 6:00 p.m.