VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds dropped their second close game of the season as the University of Victoria Vikes fought back from a 16-point deficit to win 74-72 on a Tana Pankratz buzzer-beater with less than a second on the clock at War Memorial Gym.
 
Former T-Birds assistant coach Carrie Watts earned her first victory as head coach of the Vikes as her team came out firing in the third quarter and outscored the 'Birds 27-17 in the frame to head into the fourth quarter tied at 58-58. The wasn't much separating the two teams in the fourth quarter, and the game came down to the final possession as Pankratz put in the winner – and her eleventh points of the quarter – as time expired.

?? WBB | It goes down to the wire at War Memorial Gym as @uvicvikes hit the last second jumper to edge @UBCWBBall 74-72 in a thriller. pic.twitter.com/ROLKNZZs4T

— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) October 31, 2021

 
"We've been talking all year about how defense is what separates a lot of teams out here," said Watts. "We weren't really happy with how we came out defensively and knew we could do a lot better. The girls buckled down. The more you can get stops defensively the more it has a huge impact on the offensive side of the ball. This game really reinforced the value of defense and that the game is never over – you have to weather the storm and still have confidence in what we're working on as a team. If we get in a similar situation, we know that we can pull that out."
 
Hailey Counsell had another standout performance and led the T-Birds with 23 points while Emily Martindale scored 14 points and Kate Johnson contributed 13 points in the narrow loss.  Ashlyn Day had a team-high 28 points for the Vikes, while Pankratz had a massive 23-point performance – 17 of them coming in the second half. Mimi Sigue and Dina Strujic each grabbed 11 boards for the Vikes and 'Birds, respectively, in the tightly contested provincial rivalry game.   


 
The 'Birds took off from the tip with three quick buckets and a pair of Forstbauer free throws before Katie Hartman found Dina Strujic for a layup and a 10-0 cushion. Brooklyn White got the visitors on the board halfway through the frame by grabbing a rebound and laying it back in to make it 12-2 T-Birds, but moments later Counsell stripped Calli McMillan and took it all the way for an easy lay-in – then crossed over Aleah Ashlee and stepped back for a three. Tana Pankratz made two trips to the foul line late in the quarter, and the visiting Vikes cut into the Thunderbird lead to end the first down 20-10.
 
Pankratz started the second quarter with another hoop and the harm, but missed the free throw and UBC's Strujic hit a three to regain the 13-point advantage. Emily Martindale drained her first triple then hit a pair of free throws for a 30-16 lead as the T-Birds continued to maintain control in second. Day made it an 11-point game with a strong take to the rim for Victoria, and Ashlee pulled up on the break for a jumper at 37-27 with just under three minutes remaining in the half. In the final minute of the second, Pankratz banked in a long two to make it 39-31 and UBC went into the locker room up 41-31.

?? WBB | Halftime here at War Memorial Gym @UBCWBBall have maintained their 10pt lead, up 41-31 over @uvicvikes. #GoBirdsGo pic.twitter.com/7bboa9t2ES

— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) October 31, 2021

 
The Vikes came out hot and defended well in the second half, as McMillan hit an early three for a nine-point deficit at 45-36 and Day drained a three of her own to cut it to six at 47-41 UBC. Pankratz continued Victoria' hot streak from beyond the arc with a triple to make it just a five-point game at 49-44 'Birds before Day nailed another three on the next Vikes possession. Ryann Kristmanson replied with her first three pointer of the game to give the home team a 52-47 edge. Another Pankratz three completed the UVic comeback at 52-52 – the first even score since tipoff. Olivia Weeks scored her first basket as a Thunderbird late in the quarter but Day tied it up again on a jumper as the third quarter came to a close with the score evened up at 58-58.


 
Pankratz put the Vikes up 65-63 on a pull-up jumper from the free throw line before Kate Johnson hit one of two foul shots to make it a one-point game three minutes into the quarter. Weeks found a cutting Hartman in the paint to give UBC a one-point edge at 66-65. Martindale hunted down a rebound and put it in for a three-point lead but McMillan found Day on the break for a midrange bucket at cut it to 68-67 T-Birds. Johnson gave the 'Birds a three-point cushion from the free throw line, but Pankratz earned a hoop and the harm to tie it up again at 70-70 with two minutes remaining and gave the Vikes the lead on tough finish in the paint before swatting Counsell on the other end. Johnson pulled up for a smooth jumper on the next UBC possession to knot it up at 72-72 with 24.4 left on the clock, but Pankrtaz scored with under a second left to win it for the visitors.
 
The Thunderbirds are back on home court for a series against the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades November 5^th and 6^th, while the Vikes host UBC Okanagan on Friday and Saturday evening in Victoria.