UVic Vikes worked with their depleted roster and intense bench minutes to push their towering NCAA opponent to a narrow four-point finish on Saturday
Photo by Ella Baird.
The UVic men’s basketball team proved they can compete with elite competition, concluding a two-game series at the CARSA gym against the NCAA Division I Oregon State Beavers. After taking a commanding defeat on Thursday, Aug. 20, the Vikes rallied on Saturday, Aug. 22, going basket for basket against the Beavers before being just bested in a narrow 92-88 thriller.
This matchup brought the UVic team to the end of their run against NCAA Division I competition. The Vikes spent early August in Nassau, Bahamas, at the Baha Mar Summer Hoops League, where they competed against Texas A&M, Cincinnati, and South Carolina.
Vikes Head Coach Murphy Burnatowski noted in an interview with the Martlet that Oregon State’s roster includes three players who are over seven feet tall.
“We’re outsized at every position, but even though you’re outsized, you can still make plays, and you can still work hard. I think there were times during the game where we outworked them, so it gave us a chance.”
Thursday night’s opener at UVic showcased the physical dominance of the visiting Beavers, who shot a collective 55.2 per cent from the field to secure a 104-70 victory. Despite the deficit, fifth-year forward for the Vikes, Shadynn Smid, delivered a massive double-double to the court with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
The Vikes roster also integrated key new additions to the team, notably Victoria local Cole Bekkering, who brought 10 points to the scoreboard in both games.
On Saturday, the gap in the score between the Vikes and the Beavers was completely erased. A 28-point performance from fourth-year guard Ryan Gallagher and another 20 from Smid led the Vikes to tie with the Beavers with less than two minutes left in the game. A halftime shift in energy fueled the turnaround, where the Vikes outscored the Beavers 27-18 in the third quarter.
Saturday’s performance showed the depth of this Vikes team, as they faced this matchup with a depleted lineup, missing four of their regular rotation players. After the loss on Thursday, and a scrappy first half on Saturday, Burnatowski called out to his bench, and they answered with a flood of intensity on the court.
While the record will show two exhibition defeats, battling an oversized team gives the Vikes valuable preseason experience as they work towards the tip-off of their regular season. For Burnatowski, the early preseason test of discipline and unity is exactly what this developing squad needs to find its identity.
“I really like our team, the chemistry, and the new additions we have,” said Burnatowski, looking forward to the long road ahead. “We can play a lot of different styles.… We have a few new pieces, but it’s going to take some time for them to mould … I’m excited to see how that unfolds.”
