MBB | Vikes win 18th career CW title, third in a row

WINNIPEG – Trailing by as much as 18 in the first quarter at 33-15, the No. 1 seed Victoria Vikes didn't relent, playing with the spirit and passion they'd shown all weekend in similar situations, pulling off a 96-91 win over No. 3 seed Winnipeg for their third straight Canada West title on Sunday in front of a capacity crowd at IGAC.

The Vikes are the only school in CanWest history to win three titles in a row. They first did so from 1978-84, as part of seven straight banners, and now they've added another dynasty to their storied history, winning their 18^th career conference championship. 

Renoldo Robinson was named Player of the Game, scoring 33 points in a building where he put up a career-high 46 earlier in the year against Manitoba. That game came with star point guard and Player of the Year Diego Maffia out of the lineup.

Much like the Jan. 20 tilt, Robinson scored points in bunches.

With Maffia held to 7-for-20 shooting from the field (still scored 18 points), and fellow all-star Elias Ralph stuck on the bench for large portions due to foul trouble, Robinson made bank. 

The former CEGEP standout and 20-plus point scorer in Quebec put up 24 points in the third and fourth quarter combined. 

Robinson's three pointer with 1:30 to go in the third gave the Vikes a 68-65 lead, and he followed up shortly after with a put-back of an Ethan Boag shot, as the Vikes entered the fourth up 70-68 and didn't trail the rest of the way.

"At first, I'm not going to lie I was coasting," said Robinson.

"I kind of had enough. I knew I had to get something started. Something clicked for me in the second half. I just took over. It was a good feeling. I'm just happy that I came out and showed out for my team. We were down 18, that's a lot. I had to show out and play my hardest." 

Winnipeg got 34 points from Shawn Maranan, including six triples, which tied the Wesmen's single game playoff record from distance, along with ten assists.

Malachi Alexander also scored a career high 23 points, and the Wesmen sunk 12 threes, but the Vikes, the top team on the offensive glass, grabbed 15 in the second half compared to seven for Winnipeg. 

Shadynn Smid was arguably the best player on the floor in the fourth. 

He collected four rebounds and had ten points in the frame, while also blocking a shot and collecting a key board that led to a Ralph corner three, giving the Vikes a 90-84 lead with 1:30 play.

"We knew [Victoria] was going to come out with a run in the second half," said Maranan. 

"Obviously we started out well, it's just hard to maintain a lead against a great team like that. We didn't get enough stops to get us over the hump. Our goal was to limit them to one shot and I gave up an offensive rebound on a pick and roll switch. That was kind of the game-changer right there." 

Maranan had 14 points in the first, and Winnipeg went 4-for-6 from distance, going into the second up 35-16.

Winnipeg continued to score from distance in the second, hitting 50 percent overall while limiting the Vikes to one possession often.

Mike Mikhailov had seven boards entering the third and finished with a game-high 14 along with ten points, while Maranan had six points and three assists. 

But the Vikes pushed back, cutting Winnipeg's lead to 52-46 entering the half. Robinson scored 12, including a steal and layup just before the buzzer.

Defensive Player of the Year Aaeon Tesfagiorgis sunk a critical three early, narrowing Winnipeg's lead to 55-51 in the third, and a Robinson contested triple tied the game at 58 four minutes in.

Alexander grabbed a board and put it back shortly after, bringing Winnipeg's lead back to four at 64-60, but that's when Robinson and Boag went lethal.

Robinson gave his side the lead at 68-65 on a three with 1:30 to go, and Boag scored four points shortly after, including a put back on the first shot of the fourth, giving Victoria a 72-68 lead.

Boag added three more in the fourth on a triple, plus four rebounds, while Smid was tough to contain on the glass, saving his best play for late in the contest.

A Maffia technical foul gave the Wesmen the ball down 83-82 with 4:04 to go and a chance to re-tale the lead. 

Kaito Jaro had drained a triple just prior, while Mikhailov had a put-back to narrow Victoria's lead to one.

With a chance to regain momentum, Smid played excellent defence on Donald Stewart, who finished with eight points, and Victoria went back the other way, leading to a Maffia bucket. 

The Wesmen once again cut the lead to three at 87-84 with 1:30 to go, but again Smid came up big, forcing a miss that led to Ralph's clutch three pointer from the corner which helped seal the deal.

Both teams still advance to nationals in Laval, seeding will be announced soon.