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Riding a four-game losing skid, the UVic Vikes women鈥檚 basketball team is looking to snap out of the doldrums in Edmonton this weekend, hoping to head into the Christmas break on a high note.
The 4-4 Vikes take on the 5-3 U of Alberta Pandas at 5 p.m. today and Saturday, just ahead of the men鈥檚 games at the Saville Community Sports Centre in the Alberta capital.
Both Vikes squads are coming off sa国际传媒 West bye weeks after the women were swept at home by Saskatchewan, while the men won both games the previous week.
鈥淚 think, looking at the schedule when it came out, that this would be a challenging stretch with three weekends of top teams in the conference. But if you want to be part of that conversation, that鈥檚 what you want,鈥� women鈥檚 coach Dani Sinclair said.
鈥淲e鈥檝e shown spurts of good and we鈥檝e also shown spurts of inconsistency, so we have to focus on each possession. As corny as that is, we have to focus on one thing at a time and not get too far ahead of ourselves.鈥�
That inconsistency has been hard on Sinclair, who is directing all her focus on that one intangible.
鈥淲e talked about it at practice. We鈥檙e kind of at one end of the spectrum or the other. We are either fantastic or making bonehead-type plays, so we need to find that middle ground and be solid,鈥� she said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what it鈥檚 going to take: Be better on the specifics of the actual games, like needing to rebound and defend and all that it encompasses.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about consistency of play.鈥�
As for the Vikes men鈥檚 team, coach Craig Beaucamp鈥檚 5-3 group will have its hands full against the 8-0 Golden Bears club, ranked No. 3 in the country.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a really good test for us, obviously,鈥� Beaucamp said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had a couple wins now. But now we鈥檙e going to go play a good team in our conference and on the road, so I think it鈥檚 a good measuring stick to see where we鈥檙e at.
鈥淭his is the team that won the conference last year and they pretty much have everybody back. They鈥檙e a top rebounding team in the conference, too, and that鈥檚 what sticks out.鈥�
Both teams have been tough defensively so far this sa国际传媒 West season, but the Golden Bears are that much better on the boards.
Alberta is allowing the fewest points per game in the conference (63.1). The Vikes are third at 73.3 points per game allowed. UVic has surrendered the fewest turnovers per game at 12.4.
鈥淚t鈥檚 still relatively early, but we鈥檙e holding our own as far as field-goal percentage difference and points against. I think were in the top four or five or even higher in both categories,鈥� Beaucamp said. 鈥淭he one category that has to get better for us, to take another step, is the rebounding.
鈥淚 just think that the teams that end up in the Final 4 are consistently the top rebounding teams in the conference.鈥�
Beaucamp wants his team to shore up that category and, obviously, the Vikes would love a split against the top sa国际传媒 West team before heading into the holiday break.
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