VANCOUVER -Â On the opening night of the final weekend of regular season play, the University of Victoria defeated the UBC Thunderbirds 82-65 in the front end of a home and home series in men's basketball. The Vikes, who lead the Pacific division with an 18-3 record, used outstanding shooting and persistent defence to earn the victory.
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With the loss, UBC falls to 11-10 on the year, however they did wrap up the final playoff spot in the division thanks to a Trinity Western loss to Fraser Valley.
The Vikes' effective offence drew its strength from their remarkable shooting. With seven three pointers in the first half and an overall shooting percentage of 50%, Victoria was a force to be reckoned with on offence. UBC was not as fortunate with shooting, and the Thunderbirds failed to record a shot from beyond the arc in the game. UBC saw its toughest offensive struggles during the second quarter, within which they were outscored 24-9. In the second half, the Thunderbirds were unable to substantially chip away at the Vikes' lead. Despite a strong third quarter from
David Wagner and a late push from
Tommy Nixon, the Vikes maintained their strong play and relentless defence in order to remain in control of play.
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Nixon, Wagner, and
Brylle Kamen led the Thunderbird offense, contributing 14, 14, and 13 points, respectively. Wagner also led the 'Birds in rebounding, with a game-high nine.
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Victoria's Kyle Peterson contributed a stunning five three's from beyond the arc over the course of the game. He and Terrell Evans championed the Vikes' offence with 17 and 16 points. Chris McLaughlin led Victoria in rebounding, with eight, and also recorded 12 points.
In terms of the postseason, UBC already knows they will travel to Edmonton for the opening round of the Canada West playoffs next week to take on the top team in the conference, the Alberta Golden Bears in a best-of-three quarter-final series.
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These two teams will wrap up the regular season tomorrow night at War Memorial Gym. Tip off is at 7 p.m.
