The CARSA Performance Gym era in men鈥檚 Vikes hoops began, perhaps also fittingly in a way, with a rebuilding program. The Vikes missed the sa国际传媒 West playoffs in the first year of that rebuild last season. The second season in CARSA finds the Vikes at 2-6 in conference following Sunday鈥檚 thrill-o-matic 93-89 overtime loss to the U Sports No. 2-ranked UBC Thunderbirds at War Memorial Gym in Vancouver after regulation time ended 79-79.
When UVic coach Craig Beaucamp looked at the uncompromising first half of the sa国际传媒 West schedule, he knew it might start out this way for his young team. Four of UVic鈥檚 losses have been against two teams ranked in the U Sports national top-10 鈥� UBC and the Calgary Dinos. And UBC is now 6-0 in conference play.
鈥淲e鈥檝e played the two best teams in the conference early in the season . . . and now the goal is getting better in the second half and have a solid run to the playoffs,鈥� said Beaucamp.
Twelve of the 17 teams in sa国际传媒 West will qualify for the post season.
鈥淭his is probably a building year and we are probably a year away, but we want to make the most of this season, as well,鈥� said Beaucamp.
鈥淲e are not giving up on this season by any means. 鈥�
Not having the luxury to look to the future is Grant Sitton, the Vikes鈥� lone graduating player this season. The native of Oregon is personally making the most of his senior campaign and has clearly been UVic鈥檚 leader and standout player. A lean six-foot-eight forward, Sitton is a stiletto-like attacker and put up 24 points Sunday against UBC, including going four-for-six from three-point land, and also grabbed nine rebounds.
Point-guard Wayne Tucker Jr. scored 14 points for UVic, while Vikes rookie Jake Newman, whose dad Jamie Newman was part of the seven-consecutive-national-championships UVic dynasty of the 1980s, scored 13 points. Justin Kinnear added 10 points
Six-foot-nine Conor Morgan of Victoria led UBC with 37 points and 11 rebounds and now leads sa国际传媒 West in scoring. The Mount Douglas Secondary graduate, and former sa国际传媒 U-18 player, moves so fluidly for a big man and is the favourite for both sa国际传媒 West and U Sports MVP after the first half of the season.
鈥淸Morgan] is six-foot-nine, yet an inside-out, forward-guard type player who can shoot. He is the whole package,鈥� said Beaucamp, who can only be relieved he doesn鈥檛 have to face Morgan again, at least not in the regular season.
That UVic took the second-ranked team in the nation to overtime on the road Sunday 鈥� it wasn鈥檛 over until two Morgan free throws finally clinched it for the Thunderbirds in the waning seconds of extra time 鈥� shows the Vikes could be arriving.
鈥淭his is one instance where a moral victory isn鈥檛 the worst thing, considering that we are working on getting better for the second half of the season, and looking to make a run for the playoffs in the new year,鈥� said Beaucamp.
The two opening road weekends to begin the second portion of the sa国际传媒 West season 鈥� at Thompson Rivers on Jan. 6-7 and at UBC-Okanagan on Jan. 13-14 鈥� will prove crucial to UVic鈥檚 hopes. The Vikes鈥� first home action on CARSA鈥檚 Ken and Kathy Shields Court in the second half of conference play is Jan. 20-21 against the Lethbridge Pronghorns.
The Vikes will tune up by playing in the University of Winnipeg Tournament from Dec. 28-30.
