WBB | Vikes’ lockdown defence powers playoff win over Pronghorns

Written by Dan Kinvig, for UFV Athletics

ABBOTSFORD — The Victoria Vikes’ swarming defence yielded an opening-round playoff upset, as they knocked off the Lethbridge Pronghorns 54-43.

Offensive highlights were few and far between – both teams shot sub-30 per cent from the field and combined for an eye-watering 57 turnovers between them. 

The No. 10-seeded Vikes, though, were able to assert themselves defensively in the game’s key moments, assuring their safe passage to the Canada West quarter-finals, where they will face their archrivals, the No. 2 seed UBC Thunderbirds (3 p.m., CanadaWest.tv). 

“Our shots weren’t falling today — it was pretty ugly on the offensive side,” acknowledged UVic third-year guard Tana Pankratz. “So we knew we had to buckle down. We’ve been playing good D for, I want to say, six games in a row now in league play, so we’re just trying to bring that every game — bringing energy, bringing lots of talk. 

“We have so much length on our team, so we’re just focusing on that, and staying competitive.”

No. 7 seed Lethbridge landed the first blow, opening an early 10-4 lead, but Victoria battled back to take a 26-22 lead into the halftime break behind 11 points from centre Abigail Becker. 

Courtney McKee came out of the locker room with a hot hand, scoring five quick points to boost the Pronghorns. But the Vikes took their defence to a stifling new level — they held Lethbridge scoreless for six-plus minutes bridging the third and fourth quarters, expanding the lead to 15 points (50-35) during that stretch. Whether a layup, runner or three-pointer, the lid was firmly on the Pronghorns’ basket. McKee finally got a floater to rattle home with four minutes left in regulation, but by that time, the Vikes were in control. 

Lethbridge went down swinging, halving the deficit in the dying minutes. Abby Graves drove into the paint for an and-one layup to get the Pronghorns back to within 50-43 with 1:58 left, but the comeback effort would run out of steam.

Afterward, Lethbridge head coach Dave Waknuk noted that the Vikes’ size advantage played a role in his team’s scoring struggles. The Pronghorns don’t have anyone on the roster who stands over six feet, while UVic countered with the likes of Becker (6’4”), Pankratz (6’1”) and Brooklyn White (6’1”). 

“Size and length affects you, right?” Waknuk said. “You know there’s size coming for you, so you’re going to speed it up, shoot it a little quicker. Some of our turnovers were passes where we were already thinking about what’s coming for us before we were actually catching the ball, and it was coming off our hands. 

“It’s playoff basketball — scores are going to go down, defence is going to be the key. It kind of turns into a bit of a rock fight at times, and you’re just hoping to get some breaks, which didn’t go our way. I liked our shots — we just didn’t always get the ball to go in the rim.

“We’re still a young team . . . and we’re still inexperienced in spots. We need to be a little more patient in those moments. This is a group where we can bring them all back next year, so this is a chance to learn.”

Becker paced the Vikes with 13 points, Canada West rookie of the year Makena Anderson scored 11, Pankratz added nine points, and Karis de Paiva hauled down a game-high 13 rebounds.

For the Pronghorns, Graves was the lone double-digit scorer with 10 points, while McKee and Piper Dobbelsteyn scored eight apiece.

UVic’s Pankratz and White are local Abbotsford products who played their high school basketball at Yale Secondary. Pankratz noted what a treat it was for her team’s post-season run to play out in her hometown.

“My whole family is here, my old coaches are here,” she said with a smile. “I feel more pressure, but it’s good, it’s fun. It’s exciting that they get to see me play.”