It was a night of high emotion Friday on Ken and Kathy Shields Court at CARSA gymnasium.
It was the final sa国际传媒 West regular-season home weekend in the careers of five University of Victoria Vikes players as they tipped off against the University of Manitoba Bisons.
The draining week in the basketball world, meanwhile, was acknowledged as the Vikes men鈥檚 team warmed up with T-shirts bearing the image of the late hoops superstar Kobe Bryant. A moment of silence was held before the game honouring Bryant and the other victims of the fatal Los Angeles helicopter crash.
Meanwhile, the UVic women鈥檚 team (10-7) won their third consecutive game 鈥� following five consecutive losses 鈥� with a 77-72 victory over the Bisons (7-10).
It was the penultimate regular-season home game for Kristy Gallagher, Katie Langdon, Marissa Dheensaw and Morgan Roskelley.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very emotional but you just have to stay focused on what is happening on the court,鈥� said Langdon.
Gallagher, Dheensaw and Roskelley are local products out of Parkland, Claremont and Oak Bay, respectively. Langdon is from Owen Sound, Ont., and her family has travelled the farthest for the farewell home regular-season weekend.
鈥淵ou try not to think about all the other things happening this weekend. When on the floor, you shut them out of your mind, and concentrate on what you have to do in the games,鈥� said the fifth-year forward, who had 10 points Friday.
The Vikes survived a slow start and pulled out a game that had seven lead changes in the fourth quarter.
鈥淢arissa [Dheensaw] and Morgan [Roskelley] stepped up their leadership in the second half,鈥� said Vikes head coach Dani Sinclair.
鈥淎nd Ashlyn [Day] had a great game [with 18 points].鈥�
Sinclair knows there is a lot swirling around the last season veterans, who will be honoured during a ceremony after tonight鈥檚 game against the Bisons.
鈥淚 think that caused some nerves and jitters tonight. Sometimes there is so much build-up to a moment until the players realize it鈥檚 just another game,鈥� said the UVic bench boss.
鈥淗opefully, we got that out of our system [Friday evening] and will be better from tip-off on in [tonight鈥檚] game.鈥�
Forward Hayden Lejeune from Sardis, meanwhile, is the lone UVic men鈥檚 player who is graduating. Lejeune and his Vikes mates (13-4) tipped off in a riveting men鈥檚 game, amid a playoff-like atmosphere, against a very good Bisons squad (14-3). The Vikes won 82- 74 behind the clutch outside shooting of fourth-year guard Scott Kellum and rookie-guard Diego Maffia and the monstrous defensive rebounding of Matthew Ellis. But it could be a costly victory with the gym going silent with 19 seconds remaining as Ellis was helped off with what looked to be a serious leg injury.
The Vikes-Bisons men鈥檚 game tonight is at 7 p.m. and the women鈥檚 at 5 p.m.
The Vikes squads close out the sa国际传媒 West regular season next weekend in Langley against the Trinity Western Spartans.
