UVic Vikes men and women both lose
Bounce by agonizing bounce, the Canada West basketball season is continuing to slip away from the University of Victoria men’s and women’s teams.
Both suffered Canada West losses Friday night against their University of Regina Cougars counterparts in the Saskatchewan capital.
The UVic men fell to 7-10 in conference in an 85-73 loss to the Cougars.
It was over early as Regina built a 58-31 half-time lead. The Vikes made a bit of a push but it wasn’t nearly enough.
Jonathan Tull scored 23 points for Regina and Mack Roth 17, Jordan Charles 16 and Grant Sitton 11 for the fading Vikes, who are 2-10 in the last 12 games and have lost five consecutive and seven of the last eight games.
This is after the beginning the season with five straight victories.
The Cougars, one of the teams UVic is battling for the final playoff berth, are now 9-6 and four points up on the Vikes, with two games in hand. And time is running out. After the back end of the two-game set against Regina tonight, UVic has a bye next week and then closes out at home the following week in CARSA against the last-place Brandon Bobcats.
Meanwhile, the Regina women flashed their credentials as the third ranked team in Canada with an 80-61 Canada West victory over the Vikes
The Cougars moved to 14-1 in conference while the Vikes had a two-game win streak snapped in dropping to 7-10.
UVic kept pace in the first quarter at 19-19 before a big second quarter for Regina, in which the Cougars outscored the Vikes 27-16, blew the lid off the contest.
“We started out well. But in a three-minute burst in the second quarter, they blew the game wide open,” said UVic head coach Dani Sinclair.
“They are a good team that is going to make plays, and they did.”
Charlotte Kot led Regina with 26 points while Alyssia Kajati added 12. Nicole Karstein had 23 points for UVic while Amira Giannattasio dropped in 11, Kristy Gallagher 10 and Jenna Bugiardini nine.
There is going to be a scramble worthy of Western Speedway hitto-pass to make the final Canada West playoff berths.
“We want to keep control of our own fate, regardless of who we are playing,” said Sinclair.
“[Tonight], we can’t let Regina play to its strengths and do the things it does well.”
Both UVic teams close out their two-game sets tonight in Regina.