The pair return to the 2017 portion of the season on Friday night in Kamloops as they meet Thompson Rivers University in a pair of weekend matchups against the 5-5 men鈥檚 WolfPack team and 2-9 women.
Asked what she wanted to see in the second half, Sinclair responded: 鈥淪ome momentum.
鈥淲e won some important games in the first half, but we lost some, especially the last one in double-overtime at UBC 鈥� that stung a bit,鈥� she said of the 93-85 setback on the mainland.
鈥淵ou start to think about where everything is going to fall as we get a couple [of] weeks into the second half. You don鈥檛 want to focus too much on that, but it plays a part.鈥�
Sinclair, specifically, wants to see tougher defence from her troops.
鈥淪ame old story, we need to be better in the defensive end and win the rebounding battle every night,鈥� she added.
This Christmas the UVic women remained at home and entertained Manitoba in a pair of scrimmages while the two clubs essentially went through a second training camp.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a long break, it鈥檚 like another off-season almost, then you get thrown back into the fire,鈥� said Sinclair, who is expecting a battle from the WolfPack.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to be tough in their gym. They have some veteran players who play big roles and they have young players who can hit their shots,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e a dangerous team because they can shoot the 3-ball. If they鈥檙e on, they can score a bunch of points all at once. You鈥檙e always in tough against a team that can shoot the 3-ball well and that鈥檚 them.鈥�
The goal, ultimately, in the second half is to move up the standings and into a better playoff position.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we鈥檝e talked about and it鈥檚 a goal of ours to potentially get a bye that first round and not be playing four or five weeks in a row,鈥� said Sinclair. 鈥淔inish in those top spots so you have the opportunity to do that and at the same time build some momentum.鈥�
The men鈥檚 matchup features clubs heading in opposite directions as Beaucamp鈥檚 Vikes are on a three-game losing skein in conference play, in 15th place in the conference that promotes 12 to post-season play. The WolfPack have won four straight and sit eighth in the standings.
UVic is coming off better performances from the Wesmen Classic post-Christmas tournament in Winnipeg in which the Vikes hammered Brandon 90-66 before losing 82-76 to a strong Alberta team 鈥� which is 10-0 in league play 鈥� then dropping a 64-63 squeaker to Winnipeg.
The men鈥檚 Vikes team also lost a heart-breaker at UBC, 93-89 in overtime just before the holiday layoff.
On their Christmas break, the WolfPack men ventured to Lancaster, California, where they won a pair of games, 97-94 over West Coast Baptist College last Thursday and followed it up with a tight 76-75 triumph over the host University of Antelope Valley on Friday.
