Farewell to four of UVic’s graduating hoops standouts
How do coaches appropriately say goodbye to their group of graduating fifth-year players?
Night in and night out Jenna Bugiardini, Nicole Karstein, Jenna Krug and Grant Sitton have given their all to their respective UVic Vikes basketball programs.
The four took to the Ken and Kathy Shields court floor at CARSA Performance Gym for the last time in regular-season play on Saturday, honoured during their matchups against the visiting Winnipeg Wesmen.
Bugiardini, Krug and Karstein will continue on to the Canada West playoffs and the Vikes womens’ team will also play host to the U Sports national basketball championships next month. That fact likely made it a little less emotional for coach Dani Sinclair to say thank you for their service — all three playing their full five years at UVic.
“Those girls have given their heart and soul to this program and it’s for them that I want for us to have success this year,” said Sinclair, who watched the regular campaign end with an 80-69 loss against Winnipeg.
Sitton led the Vikes men’s team to a thrilling 79-78 win over Winnipeg to clinch a playoff spot as UVic (now 9-11) will start the postseason on the road next week.
“You want them to go out on a winning note, just for how much they’ve given to us and they’re such great people,” Sinclair added of her trio of graduating players. “They are three people who have dedicated themselves the way they have for five years. There’s never been a question of their dedication.”
Bugiardini was and is the heart and soul of the women’s Vikes, a versatile player and excellent find out of Hamilton, Ont. Karstein and Krug consistently gave their squad gritty minutes and, like Bugiardini, strong leadership qualities. Together the three have played in 291 games for the Vikes, not counting tournaments or exhibition games.
“You look at Jenna Krug, here’s a kid that didn’t even know if she would play basketball at the university level when she came out of high school,” Sinclair said of the point guard from North Vancouver. “She’s someone who, two years ago, came off the bench in a very specific role. She would come in and just give us a couple of good minutes. For her now, she owns the position she’s in and she’s thrived.”
Krug was the Vikes’ best player on Friday.
“Nicole, she’s in some ways our most talented player and one of our best athletes,” Sinclair said of her post player. “And Jenna B., what can you say about her. She’s been wonderful.”
“It’s been amazing,” Bugiardini said in reflection of her five years. “I looked back on it every day as this came closer and closer. It was honestly the best decision I ever made coming out here to play. It was such an amazing opportunity and I can’t believe how great it’s gone in every aspect for me, personally and as a basketball player. I couldn’t have asked for a better five years.”
Bugiardini flourished as Canada West rookie of the year in her first season and never looked back.
Now, they look forward to playoffs (they will play host to a playin series next weekend) and nationals. The fact that they will play on took a little of the emotion out of Saturday’s seniors’ night, but only a little.
“There’s still a lot of emotion, with the ceremonies and it’s our last chance to come together in our final regular-season game. It still has a lot of meaning for us and we’ll be able to hang out after the game and cut some cake and celebrate a little bit because, come nationals, we’ll be more focused on the team and playing basketball together,” said Bugiardini.
For Sitton, the six-foot-nine, 175-pound native of Bush Prairie, Washington, completed three years at UVic, but definitely left his mark, nailing down his patented jump shots or long threepointers, at times with such ease.
On Saturday he had recorded five of his 27 points in the dying minute as the Vikes came back from a 78-74 deficit for the win. He also had two key blocks down the stretch and collected 12 rebounds.
“He’s been a good ambassador for the program and is a very talented offensive player,” Vikes coach Craig Beaucamp said coming into the goodbye game. “He’s brought some excitement to the gym every night and a little bit of a wow factor on the offensive side of the ball.”