University of Victoria Athletics

1997-98 University of Victoria Women’s Basketball
 
CIAU National Champions
 
Women’s Roster

 
Kathy Shields (Head Coach)
Brian Cheng (Assisant Coach) 
 
Biography
Together, with the University of Victoria’s women’s basketball team, key returnee Lisa Koop made head coach Kathy Shields 1997-98 season very successful. The Vikettes held a Canada West record of 18-2 bringing coach Shields’ winning record to 283 of 330 career games. The Vikettes jumped right into their season with a confident win over the University of Alberta Pandas 57-39.
 
In her final season as a Vikette, Koop led her team and the Canada West conference in free throw percentage (77%). On February 13, 1998 against the University of Calgary, Koop delivered a game high of 32 points topping off her scoring to 175 field goals. Koop’s field goal total was the second highest in the Canada West conference. Two other key returnees, Kim Johnson and Lindsay Brooke ranked second and third in 3-field goal percentage in the Canada West conference. Johnson shot a 44%, while Brooke shot a 40%. Lily Blair led the Vikettes with 100 combined rebounds including, 39 offensive rebounds and 61 defensive rebounds.
 
The University of Victoria hosted the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds for the post–season Canada West semifinal best-of-three series. In a clean sweep the Vikettes defeated the Thunderbirds 71-47 and 67-47 to take the series. Koop was dubbed Canada West First Team All-Star under unanimous selection and recipient of the Canada West player of the year. Brooke was honoured as Canada West Second Team All-Star, while head coach Shields’ was named as Canada West coach of the year.
 
Thriving off a triumphant post-season the girls travelled east to Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario for the CIAU national championships. The Vikettes ousted the University of Prince Edward Island in a dominant first match, winning 71-52; Megan Dalziel was named player of the game. Koop led the Vikettes to a semifinal win over the University of Regina 73-60 and was named player of the game. With one game away from winning another national title, the No. 2 seeded Vikettes had to play the No. 1 seed, the University of Manitoba Bison’s. With Shields behind the bench, the Vikettes defeated the Bison’s in a close 66-61 match. Proudly ending the 1998 season, Brooke was dubbed as CIAU tournament MVP and Koop as the CIAU tournament All-Star and CIAU All-Canadian.
 
 
Season Summary
Canada West Record: 18-2 (1^st)
Canada West Playoffs: 2-0 (Gold)
Canada West First Team All-Stars: Lisa Koop
Canada West Second Team All-Stars: Lindsay Brooke
 
 
CIAU Record: 2-0 (Gold)
CIAU All-Canadian First Team:  Lisa Koop
CIAU Championship MVP: Lindsay Brooke
CIAU Tournament All-Star: Lisa Koop

• 1998 CIAU national champions
• Defeated the University of Manitoba at Lakehead University for the CIAU 1998 national title (66-61)