The University of Victoria Vikes fought back from a first-half deficit to defeat the Brandon University Bobcats 85-62 on Saturday night at the CARSA Performance Gym.
Still dressing only seven players for the second-straight evening of Canada West action, the Bobcats brought the fight to the Vikes in the first half.
The Bobcats came out and won the first quarter on Ken & Kathy Shields Court on the strength of a pair of shots from downtown by the third-year forward Shun Williams.
Anthony Tsegakele led the Bobcats with 23 points last night and got going early by carving his way to the rim around a couple screens for five early points. He had enough juice in his legs to follow up his own miss and beat one of the top rebounders in the Canada West, Dom Oliveri, for the tip in.
The Bobcats are no strangers to heaving from deep. Last night, it didn’t work so well, as they went 4-for-35. In the rematch, they eclipsed that mark three minutes into the second quarter. The Bobcats entered this evening fifth in the Canada West at completing their threes knocking them in at a 34.5 per cent clip.
The Vikes kept fouling the Bobcats’ three-point shooters in the first half, which staked them to an early 28-19 lead. The Bobcats were 6-for-11 from three in the first half, but struggled in the second half and finished 8-for-23.
Williams continued to pick and pop, as he knocked down trays and had 10 points at the break after going 3-for-4 from downtown. Williams picked up his third foul early in the second half and was forced to sit for a bit.
Williams’ teammate. Jaleel Webb, drained a trio of threes as well in the first half and ended the evening with 13 points.
Sophomore guard Aaron Tesfagiorgis was a big reason why the Vikes only trailed 37-33 at the break, as he nailed three threes as well. Along with the buckets, he also recorded four assists and produced three rebounds in the opening 20.
After going 0-for-4 last night from the land beyond Jason Scully hit a corner three in the second and third quarter to bring the Vikes within one in the third quarter.
Vikes captain Scott Kellum drilled three consecutive threes – four total in the third quarter – as part of a 13-0 run by the Vikes in the frame.
With Williams on the bench in the third, the Vikes seized control and won the frame 26-9.
The Bobcats ran out of gas in the final frame, but not before Hans Befus drained a three late in regulation.
The Vikes (4-2) head to Calgary next weekend for a pair of games with the Mount Royal University Cougars (3-2). The Bobcats (1-7) now embark on a home-and-home series with the University of Winnipeg Wesmen (2-6). The first game of that series goes Nov. 28 in Winnipeg and returns to Brandon on Dec. 2.
