Reiner Theil knows it.
The fifth-year University of Victoria Vikes guard, who was the 2013-14 sa国际传媒 West defensive player of the year, can read the standings as well as any other of his basketball teammates.
At 7-9 in the Pioneer Division standings and clinging to the seventh-and-final playoff spot, the West Vancouver native has no misconceptions as to the importance of this weekend鈥檚 matchup in Regina.
The Cougars are 8-6 and two points up on the Vikes, with two games in hand coming down the stretch of the 2015-16 season. Next week UVic enjoys a bye, then closes out at home against a weak Brandon team, currently 1-13.
鈥淚t鈥檚 go time for us with only four games left and vying for that last playoff spot,鈥� said Theil. 鈥淏oth are winnable series and we鈥檙e just looking to get something rolling into the playoffs.鈥�
The Vikes current state is rolling the wrong way. After starting the season with five straight wins, the team is in a 2-9 funk, having lost four straight and six of the last seven.
To add to the dilemma, Alberta is 7-8 and tied with Victoria in points, but with one game in hand. Alberta has two games remaining against Trinity Western (1-13), two more versus Saskatchewan (4-10) and one at home to No. 5-ranked Calgary (12-3).
鈥淚t could go either way,鈥� said Theil, stressing the importance of this Regina series. 鈥淲e do look at it [the playoff race], but right now we鈥檙e just trying to get a couple of wins under our belt and make it to playoffs.鈥�
That, and righting the ship.
鈥淚 think it starts on the defensive end for us,鈥� said Theil. 鈥淲e鈥檒l probably be playing more zone [defence] now. We have to have more consistent quarters in terms of scoring. We had a few lapses against UBC and we couldn鈥檛 bounce back.鈥�
Victoria lost both last week at home by now No. 8-ranked UBC (12-4).
The Vikes women, meanwhile, are in a better position, but only after sweeping UBC last week to improve to 7-9 to occupy fifth place. They will be in tough, however, against No. 3-ranked Regina, which is an impressive 13-1.
鈥淭hat was timely, for sure,鈥� Vikes head coach Dani Sinclair said of the two critical wins over UBC. 鈥淚 knew, going into last weekend, that if we didn鈥檛 get at least one, we were likely done.
鈥淚t was nice to see our veteran players step up and perform and, especially Saturday night, we had some of our players off the bench come in and play key roles,鈥� said Sinclair, who knows the Vikes are in for a much tougher test this week.
鈥淭hey have a little of everything 鈥� they鈥檙e big, they can shoot the ball, they鈥檙e athletic and they鈥檙e first in the conference in rebounding,鈥� she said of the Cougars.
鈥淲e have to be better in the defensive end of the floor and I thought, against UBC, we were. If we can focus on sticking to the game plan and defending, we have a chance.鈥�
