Coach Dani Sinclair proved to be made of stern stuff, both physically and emotionally, the last time she took her University of Victoria Vikes into Edmonton to play the MacEwan University Griffins in sa国际传媒 West women鈥檚 basketball.
She gave birth to son Benjamin, now eight months old, in the morning and was on the bench coaching that night in a Vikes-Griffins playoff game last spring.
鈥淲e lost the series but I got a pretty good consolation prize,鈥� quipped Sinclair.
The Vikes (2-2) are back in Edmonton to face the Griffins (2-2) in a two-game sa国际传媒 West set tonight and Saturday. And yes, Benjamin will be making the trip back with her to his unexpected place of birth.
The Vikes men also meet the Griffins in a sa国际传媒 West set featuring two teams that are 1-3.
It is the first-ever sa国际传媒 West regular-season meeting between the schools in basketball. MacEwan is among a group of former colleges, including Mount Royal in Calgary, that in recent years have moved up to become universities and joined the sa国际传媒 West conference.
The Griffins hit the sa国际传媒 West hardwood running.
鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting that MacEwan [men鈥檚 hoops team] is actually an older, veteran squad because they carried over a lot of their college-league players when they moved up to sa国际传媒 West,鈥� added Vikes coach Craig Beaucamp.
And Sinclair doesn鈥檛 have to be reminded the Griffins defeated her Vikes in their second-round playoff series last season.
鈥淭hat was no fluke,鈥� she said.
鈥淢acEwan lost two good forwards [to graduation] but are still a good team that is tough in the backcourt, and we are going to have to defend those outside shooters.鈥�
The Vikes lost their first two games of the season to the U Sports nationally top-ranked Cougars in Regina but responded with a two-game sweep of the Calgary Dinos in the home openers last weekend at CARSA Performance Gym.
鈥淭hat gives us confidence going in against MacEwan. It should be interesting,鈥� said Sinclair.
Maybe not as interesting as last spring in the playoffs, considering all that transpired for her away from the court.
The UVic men, meanwhile, are trying to turn fortunes after being swept by wide margins last weekend in the home openers against the national No. 4-ranked Calgary Dinos.
鈥淲e need a bounce-back weekend,鈥� said Beaucamp.
He acknowledged the explosive Dinos presented a difficult challenge last week, but still rued the 101 and 97 points given up against Calgary.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a young season and we鈥檙e not losing confidence. But you can鈥檛 give up a bazillion points like that in this league, and hope to win,鈥� said Beaucamp.
