University of Victoria Vikes head coach Dani Sinclair delivered a bouncing baby boy early Friday morning in Edmonton, about three weeks early, then returned to the bench in the evening.
Her women鈥檚 basketball team, however, couldn鈥檛 quite deliver the coach the victory, falling 78-69 to the MacEwan University Griffins in Game 1 of the sa国际传媒 West quarter-final playoff series. Game 2 goes today at 4 p.m. at the city centre campus and, if required, Game 3 would start Sunday at 1 p.m.
The winner of this series advances to the sa国际传媒 West Final Four, with a site yet to be determined.
Sinclair insisted she would be back on the bench for Game 2 as well.
鈥淚t would have been a better story had we played better and won,鈥� Sinclair chuckled over the phone shortly after the game.
Husband Matt Sinclair, who is from the Edmonton area, travelled with his wife and the team on Thursday and Dani went into labour on the road trip, giving birth around 4:30 a.m.
鈥淗e took care of the baby through the whole game. His parents were also here,鈥� said Dani. 鈥淭he baby slept through the first half and he was awake and happy through the second half, which means he鈥檒l probably be up all night.鈥�
The eight-pound, one-ounce boy, who was yet to be named through the hurried day, is the third child for the couple, joining brothers James and Joseph.
鈥淚t was actually a funny story,鈥� said Dani, who gave birth at Royal Alexandra Hospital, near the downtown core, not far from MacEwan University. 鈥淭he doctor was asking about why I was there [in Edmonton] and once we told him he said, 鈥榃e have to get you out of here then.鈥� He wanted to discharge us in the morning.
鈥淓veryone鈥檚 healthy,鈥� said Dani. 鈥淣ow we just have to find a way to win a game.鈥�
As for that, the Vikes did get off to a good start, up 12-6 early and didn鈥檛 surrender the lead until the dying seconds of the first quarter when the Griffins hit a three-pointer to grab a 19-18 advantage.
Down 21-18, the Vikes wrestled the lead back on several occasions, but were behind 37-32 at the half with Jenna Bugiardini and Kristy Gallagher recording 13 points each, leaving the rest of the team to produce just six other points.
MacEwan then led 57-45 after three quarters and never relented.
Bugiardini finished with a game-high 29 points, Gallagher added 18 and then it tapered off to nine each for Jenna Krug and Nicole Karstein. Megan Wood replied with 23 for MacEwan and Kelly O鈥橦allahan added 15. However, the Griffins had five players in double digits.
鈥淚 thought the difference was they out-competed us in every aspect. I thought we got caught watching the ball a lot and we were standing around on offence,鈥� said Dani. 鈥淭hey had more hunger and that came down to their experience with all their fifth-year players. We need to play with more sense of urgency.鈥�
The Griffins finished the regular season 17-3 (and on an eight-game winning streak) in the Explorer Division of sa国际传媒 West, while the Vikes were 9-11 in the Pioneer Division.
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