Needless to say, turnovers are likely not Dani Sinclair鈥檚 favourite dessert or sweet, but for nearly three quarters the University of Victoria Vikes women鈥檚 basketball coach was forced to bite down and swallow hard.
In fact, the animated and colorful coach probably could have squeezed filling out of a bag of apples with her bare hands while pacing the sidelines as her team fell behind to the Calgary Dinosaurs, with giveaways mounting through the first two and half quarters.
But the Vikes managed to pull out a comeback 58-51 victory to record their first win of the sa国际传媒 West season (now 1-2) in their home opener at CARSA Performance Gym on Friday night.
Fifth-year standout Jenna Bugiardini led the way offensively with 21 points and was a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line, while adding 12 rebounds.
鈥淎 win is a win. They are a very good team,鈥 said Sinclair. 鈥淭hey did a good job taking us out of our stuff early on and we were rushed offensively. We turned the ball over too much 鈥 16 in the first half. But in the second half we controlled the pace a bit better, obviously, only giving up 16 points.鈥
The Vikes had recorded nine turnovers after the first quarter, which they led 15-9. They were down 35-28 at the midway point and never secured the lead in the second half until shortly after they tied it at 51-51 with 3:33 to go.
Victoria finished with 23 turnovers (just three in the fourth quarter), but the Dinos gave up 17, 10 in the second half.
鈥淚 think both teams [took their turns] 鈥 turnover, turnover, turnover. We talked all week about getting our energy in the defensive end and I think we did that in the second half,鈥 said Sinclair. 鈥淚鈥檒l take a 58-51 win anytime over us trying to put up 80. That鈥檚 how you beat good teams by defending and rebounding.鈥
Sinclair鈥檚 team, which will host the U Sports national championship March 9-12, remained ranked No. 10 after being mauled by the No. 1 Cougars in Regina last week.
The Vikes have plenty of experience as the starting five carry 20 years of sa国际传媒 West battles in fifth-years Bugiardini, Jenna Krug and Nicole Karstein to go with third-year Amira Giannattasio and second-year Marissa Dheensaw.
Giannattasio added 14 points, including a clutch three-pointer to end the scoring. Karstein was in foul trouble with four with 4:11 to go in the third quarter and didn鈥檛 return until there was 4:14 left in the fourth. She had two of her four points to make it 55-51 after Bugiardini tied it at 51-51 on a three-point play and recorded the winning bucket soon after.
Brianna Ghali had 16 for the Dinos, but there was a huge drop off after that with Bobbi Jo Colburn and Mozanga Ekwalanga with six each.
Calgary had a 45-42 lead after three quarters and built it to 51-46 before watching it slip away in the last four minutes.
In men鈥檚 play, Craig Beaucamp鈥檚 Vikes dropped a 101-75 decision to the No. 4-ranked Dinos and fall to 1-2 on the season after a split in Regina in the season-opener last week.
It was the Thomas Cooper vs. Wayne Tucker Jr. show for the most part as Cooper, the sa国际传媒 West MVP last season, amassed 30 points, including 20 by the half. Tucker Jr., who came over from Old College in Oakland, California, had 16 at the midway mark and finished with 19. Scott Kellum added 18 for Victoria.
After a 22-22 first quarter, the Dinos went on to assume a 56-37 lead at the half, thanks to an 11-0 run to close out the quarter. It was 78-54 after three quarters.
Both teams play again tonight at CARSA at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.