Amira Giannattasio couldn鈥檛 have imagined what awaited when she came out of Hamilton鈥檚 potent girls鈥� basketball system 鈥� where Olympian and national-team star Kia Nurse was a teammate 鈥� and headed west.
For five halcyon seasons, the University of Victoria public address system has reverberated with the booming sound of the name 鈥淎hhhmiiiira!鈥� after baskets, first at McKinnon Gym and then CARSA gym.
It will do so for the last time, at least in the regular season, as Giannattasio plays her final home games in a career in which she ascended to the all-time top-five in UVic Vikes women鈥檚 basketball career scoring.
The Vikes (10-8) have clinched a playoff berth and close out the sa国际传媒 West regular season against the MacEwan Griffins (6-12) of Edmonton tonight and Saturday on Ken and Kathy Shields Court in CARSA.
鈥淚t hits you, and I will probably be emotional, because it seems to have gone by so fast,鈥� said Giannattasio.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be special and I鈥檓 excited.鈥�
Especially with dad Al and mom Reesa and a large contingent of aunts, uncles and cousins from Hamilton in the stands this weekend.
Giannattasio is No. 4 on the Vikes women鈥檚 hoops all-time scoring list with 1,469 career points and trails only Luanne Hebb (1,530), two-time Olympian Carol Turney-Loos (1,646) and former Belmont star Lisa Koop (1,660).
鈥淚t鈥檚 a special accomplishment just to be in that company,鈥� said Giannattasio, a geography major.
鈥淚 was lucky to come out of such a great program in Hamilton, coached by Rich Nurse, and then again lucky to come out to UVic to play five season under Dani Sinclair.鈥�
But you make your own luck. It doesn鈥檛 just happen.
鈥淎mira worked as hard in practices as she did in games, almost to a fault,鈥� said UVic coach Sinclair.
鈥淲hether it was a game or practice, she came out just as hard. She is so competitive. That鈥檚 what gave her the 鈥榠t鈥� factor and made her one of the best players in the country.鈥�
That, and a lethal outside shot that enabled Giannattasio to become the 14th leading scorer in sa国际传媒 West history. She also has the fourth-highest scoring game in conference history after her
44 points this season against UBC eclipsed the former Vikes record of 42 scored by UVic legend and Olympian Turney-Loos in 1978 against the Saskatchewan Huskies. The only better performances in sa国际传媒 West history were Calgary Dino Meagan Koch鈥檚 49 points in 1996, Koch鈥檚
45 points in 1995, and former SFU Clan star and two-time Olympian Teresa Kleindienst鈥檚 45 in 2002.
鈥淭his is going to be a bittersweet weekend because Amira has been such a big part of our UVic basketball family,鈥� said Sinclair.
Also graduating is fifth-year UVic player Paige Thomson, who bravely overcame a heart condition, to become a reliable player for Sinclair.
The UVic Vikes men鈥檚 team
(8-10), meanwhile, closes out the sa国际传媒 West regular season tonight and Saturday in CARSA against MacEwan (1-17) and can clinch a post-season berth with a win over the lowly Griffins. It will be the final regular-season home appearances for graduating starters Jordan Charles, Mason Loewen and Jake Newman.
Charles came out of Duncan and bridged eras in his six seasons, including one as an injury redshirt.
鈥淛ordan Charles has been a pillar through good times and thin 鈥� on Vikes teams that went to national championships and [recent] teams that have not been as successful,鈥� said Vikes head coach Craig Beaucamp. 鈥淛ordan has been a great ambassador for us on and off the court.鈥�
The high-leaping Claremont grad Loewen, as athletically gifted as any Vike of the recent era, returned for his final two years of collegiate eligibility after playing in the U.S.
鈥淢ason definitely added athleticism and excitement to the program,鈥� said Beaucamp.
Jake Newman鈥檚 dad, Jamie Newman, was part of Ken Shields鈥� 1980s UVic national-championship dynasty. So Jake Newman brought a legacy element to the program after his first two seasons in the U.S., which included a trip to the NCAA tournament.
鈥淛ake gave us three solid years and is going out now playing his best basketball,鈥� said Beaucamp.
