The University of Victoria Vikes men’s basketball team posed with the national championship W.P. McGee Trophy for the memorable snap on the ferry with Active Pass in the background.
The Vikes won their first U Sports men’s basketball national championship since 1997.
Renoldo Robinson wasn’t even born the last time the University of Victoria Vikes lifted the Canadian men’s university basketball championship trophy.
On Sunday, Robinson helped cut down the net after the Vikes defeated the Calgary Dinos 82-53 to win their first title in 28 years in the men’s basketball Final 8 championship game at UBC’s War Memorial Gymnasium.
Geoffrey James scored 17 points for the Vikes, including hitting three three-pointers. Ethan Boag added 12 points while Shadynn Smid had 11 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.
Victoria was playing without star player Diego Maffia, the team’s all-time scoring leader, who suffered a knee injury in January.
Victoria built a comfortable 40-23 lead at halftime, hitting 17 of their 43 baskets.
The win was also some revenge for the No. 4-seeded Vikes who lost 77-68 to Calgary in last month’s Canada West semifinal after Victoria went 20-0 during the regular season.
The Vikes won seven consecutive titles between 1980 and 1986 but had not advanced to the championship game since 2006, losing to Carleton. Victoria last won the title in 1997 with a win over McMaster.
One of the keys to Victoria’s victory was containing Calgary’s Nate Petrone, who was named the U Sports men’s basketball player of the year earlier in the week after leading the country with 484 points in 20 games.
Petrone didn’t score until he hit a free throw in the second quarter and finished the game with 10 points.
Victoria’s Sam Maillet, named the U Sports men’s defensive player of the year, said stopping Petrone was a team effort.
Alan Spoonhunter led the Dinos with 20 points, while Dylan Lutes had 15 rebounds.
Calgary coach Dan Vanhooren said he was proud of the way his team played.
Victoria advanced to the final with a 89-75 upset over the top-seeded Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday.
Calgary, seeded second in the tournament, defeated the University of P.E.I. Panthers 87-54 in the other semifinal final.
Earlier, Ottawa beat P.E.I. 86-70 to take the bronze medal.
Calgary won the title in 2018 then lost to Carleton in the 2019 final.
