University of Victoria Athletics

1979-1980 University of Victoria Men’s Basketball

Men’s Roster

 

NAME	POSITION	ELIGIBILITY YR.	HOMETOWN
Billy Turney-Loos	F/G	2	New Haven, Conn., USA
Ted Anderson	F	4	Port Alberni, BC
Gerald Kazanowski	F	2	Nanaimo, BC
Eli Pasquale	G	1	Sudbury, ON
Reni Dolcetti	F	3	Sudbury, ON
Kelly Dukeshire	F	2	Kimberly, BC
Chris Hebb	F	5	Prince Rupert, BC
Tom Narbeshuber	F/G	2	Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Bruce Hamilton	F	1	Capreol, ON
Craig Higgins	G	2	Victoria, BC
Michael Welder	G	5	Kelowna, BC
Ian Hyde–Lay	G	5	Duncan, BC
Greg Kazanowski	G	2	Nanaimo,BC

 
Head Coach: Ken Shields
Assistant Coach: Norm Vickery
Assistant Coach: Jim Duddridge
Manager: Bill Chapman

 
Biography:
 
The University of Victoria men’s basketball team bounced back in the 1979-80 season to capture UVic’s first basketball national championship title. In the previous 1978-79 season, the Vikings were defeated in the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU) gold medal game by the University of Saint Mary’s.
 
Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams were coached by the legendary husband and wife duo Ken and Kathy Shields. The Shield’s both captured the men’s and women’s first 1979-80 basketball national championship titles earning the University of Victoria’s athletic program's second and third national banners.

During the Canada West 1979-80 season, the Vikings became the first team in Canada West history to go undefeated as they won every single regular season game. To top their amazing feat, the UVic men earned Canada West honours by defeating University of Calgary on home court to berth them to the CIAU national championships in Calgary, Alberta. Four Vikings were named to Canada West all-Star teams, including first team Eli Pasquale and Billy Turney-Loos and second team Gerald Kazanowski and Reni Dolcetti.

At the CIAU national championship, the men defeated their first opponents University of Windsor 93-75. Challenging the Vikings next was archrivals, Saint Mary’s Huskies, who had defeated the UVic men in the CIAU finals the previous year. The Vikings defeated the Huskies, 91-75, for a right to challenge the national title against No. 1 rank Brandon University.
 
In the men’s championship showdown, Victoria defeated Brandon by 8 points, 73-65, to capture UVic's basketball program's first national championship.
 
Turney-Loos and Dolcetti were tournament All-Star award recipients. Turney-Loos was also dubbed First Team All-Canadian and Dolcetti was crowned CIAU tournament most valuable player (MVP).
 
The 1979-80 UVic men's basketball team was inducted into the Vikes Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003.
                                                                       [HALL OF FAME]

Season Highlights:
Canada West Regular Season Record:  20-0 (1st)
Canada West Playoffs: 2-0 (Gold)
Canada West All-Stars First Team:  Eli Pasquale, Billy Turney-Loos
Canada West All-Stars Second Team: Gerald Kazanowski, Reni Dolcetti