BURSTIf you want to be a dynasty, March is when you prove it.
After grinding through another Canada West season and cutting down the nets at home, the University of Victoria Vikes are back where they expected to be – playing meaningful games in March with a national championship on the line.
Victoria heads into the U Sports Final 8 following an 89-74 win over UBC on Feb. 27, earning the program’s 19th Canada West banner in front of a sold-out crowd at CARSA.
Now, the No. 1-ranked team in the country travels to Calgary for the national tournament, set for March 6-8, where a familiar opponent awaits in the quarter-final.
The host University of Calgary Dinos.
It’s a rematch of last year’s national championship game, won by Victoria 82-53.
This time, the stakes are different – a semifinal berth rather than a national title – but the opponent and the setting add another layer to the challenge.
“You obviously can’t take anyone for granted in the tournament,” senior forward Ethan Boag told Saanich News.
“All the teams are good, and playing a team at home is never easy. They’re well coached, they run a lot of sets, and they’ll be ready. Once it boils down to it, it’s going to come down to who wants it more.”
Victoria and Calgary met once earlier this season, on Oct. 18, with the Vikes earning a 91-78 win.
Boag expects a much different feel in a single-elimination setting.
“Playoffs is just different basketball,” he said. “You’re not going to have guys dropping 30 every night. It’s hard-nosed, it’s scrappy. Usually, the team that wins nationals isn’t the one with the best individual player. It’s the best team.”
That team identity was on full display in the Canada West final.
Victoria stormed out to a commanding 29-12 first-quarter lead against UBC and never looked back.
“Having the opportunity to play the final at home was exciting,” Boag said. “With the crowd, that definitely gave us a big boost. But it doesn’t really mean anything until the buzzer goes. We were excited because we were getting stops, getting rebounds, getting out in transition. The message was that it doesn’t end here.”
Renoldo Robinson led the way offensively with 34 points in the final, a performance Boag said reflects years of growth.
“He sees the game differently now and knows what we need in the moment,” Boag said. “He can turn it on, but he’s added so much to his game since he first came to the program. He is a leader, and a heck of a player.”
Head coach Murphy Burnatowski praised his group’s resolve after the conference-clinching win.
“It was a great win,” Burnatowski said. “I’m proud of how the boys came to play and fought the whole game. The building was great tonight. Looking forward to resting up and heading to Calgary so we can work towards bringing home another championship.”
Victoria will look to become just the second program in championship history to reach double-digit national titles. Carleton leads the way with 17, while the Vikes sit second all-time with nine.
Seven of those titles came during a dominant stretch from 1979-1986. Last season, Victoria captured its first national championship since 1996-97.
Now, the opportunity to build on that legacy is back in front of them.
The other quarter-final matchups will see second-ranked Toronto Metropolitan face UBC, Laval take on Carleton, and Acadia meet Bishop’s.
For Boag, a Claremont Secondary graduate, four-time Canada West champion and reigning conference player of the year, the approach in his final run is steady.
“I like to take it day by day,” he said. “You trust the work you put in. All the hours in the summer, all the days in the gym – it makes it easier to trust yourself and trust the group. As long as we’re together and playing strong, that’s all that matters.”
Tip-off between the Vikes and Dinos is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, March 6, with a spot in the semifinals on the line and a repeat still within reach.
READ MORE: UVic racks up Canada West hardware on men’s and women’s sides
UVic to host UBC with Canada West basketball title on the line