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There was a time when University of Victoria and University of Brandon men鈥檚 basketball needed little introduction and games between the Vikes and Bobcats were celebrated.
UVic has won eight national championships and Brandon four, but not since 1997 and 1996, respectively. The recent era has not been as kind, and the Vikes and Bobcats renew their rivalry with conference games tonight and Saturday in Brandon following uneven sa国际传媒 West season-opening games by both teams last weekend.
UVic opened at home 1-1 against UBC-Okanagan, which has not made the playoffs since entering sa国际传媒 West in 2011-12.
The Bobcats, meanwhile, dropped both their openers in Lethbridge last weekend, but showed they can shoot by scoring 89 points in each loss to the Pronghorns. Bobcats guard Jonathan Range has been in range to average a league top-five 21 points per game.
鈥淏randon has a good core of returning players, and they are quite athletic and very good in the open court,鈥� said a wary UVic head coach Craig Beaucamp.
鈥淟ethbridge is top-four in our conference and Brandon played them close last weekend. Plus, these games here are [the Bobcats鈥橾 home openers and they are going to have a lot of energy.鈥�
But allowing 94 and 100 points, respectively, in Lethbridge revealed a suspect Bobcats defence.
That鈥檚 where UVic looks to have a definitive edge as the Vikes defence leads sa国际传媒 West with 62.5 points allowed per game, although the Bobcats look to have the kind of explosiveness that will certainly stress that UVic defence.
Claremont grad Mason Loewen, returning to Canadian hoops after two seasons in NCAA Div. 2, displayed his athleticism on offence last weekend in averaging 17.5 points per game for UVic. Veteran forward Justin Kinnear is averaging 14.5 and sophomore guard Scott Kellum, last season鈥檚 sa国际传媒 West rookie of the year, 10.5.
Meanwhile, the UVic Vikes head into Brandon for sa国际传媒 West women鈥檚 basketball games tonight and Saturday at 2-0, riding a 36-point performance by Amira Giannattasio in a 78-64 victory last Saturday to sweep UBC-O. The female Bobcats are 0-2 in sa国际传媒 West after being swept in Lethbridge.
