MBB | Vikes tame Bobcats

WINNIPEG – The No. 8 seed Brandon Bobcats gave the No. 1 seeded, two-time defending conference champion Victoria Vikes all they had, leading by eight in the first half, but when push came to shove, the Canada West Player of the Year did his thing.

Diego Maffia set a new Victoria Vikes single game playoff record with eight three pointers, as UVic advanced to the semi-finals of the Canada West Playoff Tournament on Saturday with a 98-85 win over the No. 8 seed Brandon Bobcats at IGAC.

Maffia scored 34 points, 24 coming from distance, while the conference’s top offensive rebounding team kept possessions alive all game, allowing Maffia to throw up 23 total attempts from beyond the arc. 

Elias Ralph and Shadynn Smid combined for 17 boards, while the Vikes had 13 rebouns in the final ten to help close out a tight contest.

“My teammates trust me. When I’m out there, I’m trying to make the right read all the time,” said Maffia.

“I don’t think I was great today making those reads. I think I turned the ball over one too many times, but at the end of the game that fuels me. That’s my competitive nature. Moments like that are when I thrive. I don’t feel any pressure.”

Brandon got 66 combined points from their big three of Sultan Haider Bhatti, Khari Ojeda-Harvey and Elisha Ampofo in the loss, including 12 triples.

Overall, the two teams combined for 28 makes from the perimeter in a thrilling shoot-out. 

“We left it out there. Five years from now, ten years from now we’ll get together and we’re proud proud of our effort,” reflected Bobcats head coach Gil Cheung.

“We gave the number one team in the country a run for three and a half quarters. They made some plays. We’re not going to hang our heads. We did everything we could. I can’t explain how hard it is to not break off and go a separate direction when stuff starts hitting the fan. I’m proud of those guys, they’re a great group of men.”

To the surprise of no one, the conference’s two best three point shooting teams lit up IGAC after ten, combining for eight triples in a 23-20 Bobcats lead.

Sultan Haider Bhatti netted eight points including two triples, and also had a beautiful kick-out pass for an Ampofo three, while the nation’s leading scorer Maffia and fellow conference all-star Ralph combined for 12 points and two triples, while both teams shot over 40 percent from the field.

Nine different players drained a shot from the perimeter entering the half, including two in a row in the final 30 seconds by Ralph, who didn’t miss from distance after 20, as the Vikes led 48-41. 

Elisha Ampofo and Haider Bhatti combined for 23 for the Bobcats, including multiple tough takes into the lane.

Maffia took advantage of space in the third, pulling up from the attack line at times, with six triples entering the final ten, while Renoldo Robison went on a 5-0 run as the Vikes opened up a double-digit lead.

But Ampofo had other ideas, hitting three triples to close the Vikes’ lead to eight entering the fourth. He led all Bobcats with 21 points after three, including five-for-five from the perimeter.

The Vikes’ ability to keep possessions alive was critical in the final ten. Maffia and Ralph combined for seven boards, while Maffia hit two more deep triples from the attack line to seal a double-digit win.

Victoria will now play the winner of No. 4 seed Manitoba and No. 12 seed UNBC in the semi-finals on Saturday.