Coming off a pair of losses to Alberta, it was an honest Sinclair who laid it all on the line for her young troops, who are 5-7 and teetering in that seventh-and-final playoff spot in the Pioneer Division of the sa国际传媒 West standings.
鈥淭hese are important games for us over the next four or five weeks. Obviously, we want to try and play well this weekend. I think we have to approach it with a new mindset,鈥� began Sinclair, referring to last weekend鈥檚 77-55 and 99-60 losses at Alberta.
鈥淲e obviously lost a tough one on Friday where we lose by 20-something, but I thought we came out to start the game on Saturday and responded. We played with a level of toughness and aggressiveness and physicality, but as soon as things didn鈥檛 go our way 鈥� we didn鈥檛 get a couple of calls or they made a couple of plays 鈥� we just wilted as a team.
鈥淣ow we need to show that we can respond this weekend and come together as a team,鈥� she added of games today at 4 p.m. and Saturday at noon in Winnipeg. 鈥淲e need to understand how much your daily preparation and practice leads into that.鈥�
In both losses last weekend, the Vikes were within striking distance at the halftime breaks, only to have it get away.
鈥淚t was disappointing to see how we reacted and it did happen quickly,鈥� Sinclair said. 鈥淭hey made a couple of plays that stretched it to double digits early on in the third, hit a couple of threes and all of a sudden, you turn around, and it鈥檚 18 [point spread].
鈥淚nstead of responding, we stopped talking, became quiet,鈥� Sinclair said dejectedly. 鈥淭hey [Alberta] are a very good team that does not take the foot off the gas. It鈥檚 too bad [they didn鈥檛 respond] because I thought coming into the third we would respond better, especially knowing what had happened the night before.鈥�
At the root of the problem is Victoria鈥檚 defensive play.
鈥淵ou have to be able to do it defensively,鈥� Sinclair said. 鈥淲hen you compare us to the men, they lose a game Friday and give up a lot of points, but what do they do? They come back and play a grind-it-out defensive game. We need to do the same thing. We鈥檙e not taking enough pride in our defence.鈥�
Sinclair wasn鈥檛 mincing words in practice this week, demanding a more physical game, at both ends of the floor in preparation for Winnipeg, which is 2-8.
As for the men, Craig Beaucamp鈥檚 crew sits fifth in the Pioneer Division at 7-5, just ahead of Lethbridge at 6-4 and 5-5 Winnipeg, where the Vikes play today at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m.
鈥淓verybody鈥檚 either right there behind you or right there in front of you. It鈥檚 competitive right throughout and you can鈥檛 get too far ahead of yourself. You have to concentrate on one at a time. So much can change,鈥� said Beaucamp, who knew how vital last Saturday鈥檚 66-60 win over Alberta was to earn a split after a 71-51 setback.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 afford to drop two games. We needed that one,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have to find a way to get out there and concentrate on Friday night. You can鈥檛 afford to have a skid, you have to keep pecking away. There are a lot of ups and downs and you鈥檙e trying to not get too high or too low and just keep focusing.鈥�
What he does want to see is a better start in the opening quarter.
鈥淲e had a real bad start on Friday and when that happens it hurts your confidence throughout the game. When we don鈥檛 play well in the first quarter, those are the games we don鈥檛 well play in, period.鈥�
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