Season-opening home games produce a win and a loss for the Vikes
Photo by Ella Baird.
The UVic Vikes Basketball teams opened their seasons at home on Oct. 24 in two games against the Trinity Western Spartans. The games were a mixed bag of results, with promising moments of unity, spirit, and toughness, and glimpses for improvement defensively towards the future of their seasons.
The Vikes women’s team fell to the Spartans, with a final score of 67-76, after they were unable to sustain the momentum they built up in the first quarter. The Vikes went on a 9-0 run early in the match, but the Spartans finally broke through the solid defence put out by the starting lineup.
Victoria’s own Eden Henderson, first year guard for the Vikes, opened up the playing field with a three-point shot that got the Vikes started. Fifth year forward Mimi Sigue made an impact with her minutes, defending the Spartan’s strong post players and coming out of the game with eight points and eight rebounds. Third year forward Makenna Anderson and fifth year centre Abigail Becker also put on a show for the home crowd, leading the team on the court and on the scoreboard. The fire under the Vikes feet took them into the second quarter with an 11 point lead.
The Spartans, however, caught up and chased after the win, but the Vikes kept their composure and had the home crowd to support them. They showed a sense of unity throughout the entire game, with girls on the bench joining arm in arm at every timeout. Teamwork and togetherness, it seems, will be a central element of what carries them through this season.
The men’s team took a hold of the win against the Spartans, with a final score of 98-91, after four scrappy quarters of nail-biting basketball. This team has a lot on the line, as they are coming into the new season as the defending champions of the Canada West and U Sports league. They had a perfect record during the regular season, going 20-0. The team’s victorious wins were led by the new Head Coach, Murphy Burnatowski. He has not eased off the gas since their profound success last year, as they drive towards the goal of a second championship title.
“Yeah, we got the win, we finished the job, but it wasn’t what we are,” Burnatowski said on the results of the game.
“[In the] regular season, there’s a massive step up in terms of urgency,” said Burnatowski, “I just don’t think we showed that”. This year, wins will not feel satisfying unless these men are pushing to the very best of their abilities as competitive, committed athletes and coaches.
The crowd members played a big part in building up the energy for both games. UVic students were in the spirit sections, getting feisty with the Spartans and cheering on the Vikes loud and proud. Family, friends, and fans all showed up to see the Vikes get their first win of the season.
First year Vikes forward Tyler Felt, a Victoria local and graduate of Spectrum Community School, had a group of young fans cheering him on. Handing out fist bumps and high-fives once his job was done on the court, Felt thanked his mini fans for supporting him.
Fourth year forward Shadynn Smid was undoubtedly one of the driving forces behind this win, racking up 36 points and 12 rebounds, and fourth year guard Renoldo Robinson was an assist machine, working seamlessly with his teammates, closing out the game with a total of eight assists.
Both of these teams welcomed their supporters back home to their court at UVic. The women’s team may need a few games to knock off the new season nerves, but fans hope they will bring back the heat they had in the first quarter.
The men’s team opened their season with success on the scoreboard, but they are not yet satisfied. They’ll be carrying the weight of the UVic community, and the 2024-2025 National Championship title, on their backs every minute on- and off-court.
