Victoria, BC – The No.2 seed University of Victoria downed the No. 10 Trinity Western University 95-67 in the Canada West quarterfinals, February 14 at CARSA Performance Gym.
Trinity Western burst out of the gates ablaze from beyond the arc. Marcus Shankar and Jack Vandenberg led the scoring charge as their three-pointers were raining down in the early stages of the game. The Spartans' scoring blitz built them a first-quarter ten-point lead.
Shooting fouls for Trinity began to mount up, as the Spartans' key offensive force, Connor Platz, was headed to the bench with his third foul early in the second. Platz's absence was felt dramatically as this sparked a Vikes scoring run, cutting the lead to four with eight left in the second quarter. Victoria surged back with Ethan Boag leading the charge. The Vikes grabbed a six-point lead with two minutes left to play in the second, their largest lead of the game up to that point. The Spartans refused to back down as Jack Vandenberg continued his hot shooting from beyond the arc. Victoria remained relentless on both ends of the floor, erasing the Spartans' lead and scoring 30 points in the quarter to post a 46-42 halftime lead.
The third quarter saw a Vikes scoring onslaught led by Cam Slaymaker and his sharpshooting from long range. Victoria's 29-12 scoring run completely flipped the momentum of the game as the Spartans stared down a 20-point deficit with one quarter left to play.
The fourth quarter saw more of the same. Victoria's second unit found the floor and was executing on both the offensive and defensive ends. Trinity Western showed fight the deficit proved to be too large for any late comeback attempts. Victoria showed out for their home fans, claiming the 95-67 win.
"It was just a team effort, and the way we didn't waver after they came out and were hitting shots, and we weren't. We could have been a little bit nervous going into the second quarter, but I think we stayed cool and we made the right plays, and it turned out to work for us." said Head Coach Murphy Burnatowski when asked about his players' efforts in the big playoff win.
With the win, the Vikes have clinched a birth in the Canada West semifinals as they will host the Alberta Golden Bears on Feb. 21 at CARSA Performance Gym.
We use cookies to ensure you have the best browsing experience on our website. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understood our Privacy Policy & Terms of Service.
