VICTORIA – After a big win on the road in Victoria the previous night, the T-Birds (15-5) were unable to make it two for two as they lost the rematch to the Vikes (17-3).
 
With the win, UVic claimed the top spot in the Pacific Division, while the T-Birds stay in second and will enter the postseason as the No. 4 overall seed in Canada West.
 
Holt Tomie led the way for the Thunderbirds with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists. Nylan Roberts added 17 points and five boards, while Nikola Guzina had 13 points and six rebounds.


 
Five different Vikes scored in double figures, led by Renoldo Robinson who poured in 24 points to go with four rebounds, three assists and six steals.
 
The T-Birds were down for most of the first, and trailed 17-11 before five quick points from Raj Dhadda helped spark a run that put the teams on even footing heading into the second.
 
A pair of Antchak dunks off of nice feeds from Zeru Abera and Karan Aujla briefly gave the T-Birds the lead midway through the second, but the Vikes counter-punched and didn't let the visitors create any real separation.
 
UBC's biggest lead of the first half came when Roberts put up a nice floater in traffic to give his team a 42-39 advantage in the final minute before the break, but Cameron Slaymaker answered right back with a bucket of his own to make it a one-point game heading into the third.


 
Once again, it was the Vikes who jumped out to a lead in the third, going up by as many as eight points before the 'Birds began to reel them back in.
 
A Tobi Akinkunmi and-one finish cut the deficit to 59-57, and despite another UVic push, a trio of triples from Tomie and Roberts meant UBC closed the quarter on a 9-0 run and went back up by a single point with 10 minutes to play.
 
Unfortunately, the habit of falling behind came back to bite the Thunderbirds in the fourth, as they were unable to muster up one more big push when the Vikes once again pushed out in front.
 
Despite falling just short of claiming the top seed in the Pacific, the 'Birds will still host their opening round playoff matchup inside War Memorial Gym on Friday, February 13.