Coach Dani Sinclair proved to be made of stern stuff, both physically and emotionally, the last time she took her University of Victoria Vikes into Edmonton to play the MacEwan University Griffins in Canada West women’s basketball.
She gave birth to son Benjamin, now eight months old, in the morning and was on the bench coaching that night in a Vikes-Griffins playoff game last spring.
“We lost the series but I got a pretty good consolation prize,” quipped Sinclair.
The Vikes (2-2) are back in Edmonton to face the Griffins (2-2) in a two-game Canada West set tonight and Saturday. And yes, Benjamin will be making the trip back with her to his unexpected place of birth.
The Vikes men also meet the Griffins in a Canada West set featuring two teams that are 1-3.
It is the first-ever Canada West regular-season meeting between the schools in basketball. MacEwan is among a group of former colleges, including Mount Royal in Calgary, that in recent years have moved up to become universities and joined the Canada West conference.
The Griffins hit the Canada West hardwood running.
“It’s interesting that MacEwan [men’s hoops team] is actually an older, veteran squad because they carried over a lot of their college-league players when they moved up to Canada West,” added Vikes coach Craig Beaucamp.
And Sinclair doesn’t have to be reminded the Griffins defeated her Vikes in their second-round playoff series last season.
“That was no fluke,” she said.
“MacEwan lost two good forwards [to graduation] but are still a good team that is tough in the backcourt, and we are going to have to defend those outside shooters.”
The Vikes lost their first two games of the season to the U Sports nationally top-ranked Cougars in Regina but responded with a two-game sweep of the Calgary Dinos in the home openers last weekend at CARSA Performance Gym.
“That gives us confidence going in against MacEwan. It should be interesting,” said Sinclair.
Maybe not as interesting as last spring in the playoffs, considering all that transpired for her away from the court.
The UVic men, meanwhile, are trying to turn fortunes after being swept by wide margins last weekend in the home openers against the national No. 4-ranked Calgary Dinos.
“We need a bounce-back weekend,” said Beaucamp.
He acknowledged the explosive Dinos presented a difficult challenge last week, but still rued the 101 and 97 points given up against Calgary.
“It’s a young season and we’re not losing confidence. But you can’t give up a bazillion points like that in this league, and hope to win,” said Beaucamp.
