There were high dramatics in the sa国际传媒 West women鈥檚 game at CARSA performance gym on Thursday night.
Deb Huband, who as a player captained sa国际传媒 to fourth place at the 1984 L.A. Olympics, is in her 25th season of coaching the University of sa国际传媒 Thunderbirds and always has a strategy move up her sleeves.
But no amount of strategizing can account for a player with Arctic water in her veins. Kristy Gallagher followed up her own miss with a basket with 11 seconds remaining to give the UVic Vikes a 75-74 lead over Huband鈥檚 Thunderbirds in a heart-racing contest.
The Vikes (15-4) won 76-74 for their 11th consecutive victory to halt UBC鈥檚 six-game winning streak and send the T-Birds to 10-9.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 my bread and butter. I want the ball in my hands in situations like that when the game is on the line,鈥� said Gallagher, who led the Vikes with 25 points.
鈥淓specially in this classic rivalry against UBC. We grew up playing against each other [around the province] and these are always personal games,鈥� added the fourth-year sharp-shooter, out of Parkland Secondary.
Nothing seems to faze or rattle Gallagher.
鈥淚t was just a blur,鈥� she said of the winning basket.
Amira Giannattasio, the other half of UVic鈥檚 lethal shooting duo, scored 21 points. Maddison Penn led UBC with 23 points.
In the men鈥檚 game, playing in the shadow of his high school alma mater, the splendid Mount Douglas graduate Conor Morgan showed a big crowd in the CARSA gym why he is the reigning sa国际传媒 West men鈥檚 basketball MVP.
The dexterous six-foot-nine Canadian international and future pro, poured in 23 points Thursday night as the UBC Thunderbirds (16-3 in conference) outclassed the University of Victoria Vikes 95-69 to show why they are ranked No. 4 nationally in U Sports.
Morgan moved to 1,499 career regular-season points and into third place on the all-time UBC scoring list behind only former national-team player J.D. Jackson (2,045) and Casey Archibald (1,668).
鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting. I鈥檓 out of breath. I never have trouble getting up for these games at UVic. I had a huge group of family and friends here and this is a night of reminiscence for me,鈥� said Morgan, who was surrounded by those people on the floor after his final career regular-season game in CARSA.
The overmatched Vikes fell to 10-9. Mason Loewen led UVic with 14 points.
The Vikes and Thunderbirds men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 team conclude the regular season tonight at UBC. The sa国际传媒 West hoops playoff schedule will be announced Monday.
