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Vikes men, women cruise to wins

Craig Beaucamp’s University of Victoria Vikes entered Saturday night’s game looking for their fourth weekend sweep of the 2012-13 Canada West basketball season.
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Monday: UVic Vikes Michael Acheampong (center) goes between Brandon Bobcats Isiah James (L) and Ilarion Bonhomme during their Canada West men's basketball game at McKinnon Gym.

Craig Beaucamp’s University of Victoria Vikes entered Saturday night’s game looking for their fourth weekend sweep of the 2012-13 Canada West basketball season.

It couldn’t get much easier as the Vikes mopped the McKinnon Gym floor with the doormats of the Prairie Division, the Brandon Bobcats, in a 78-52 victory before a small, but enthusiastic crowd. Victoria is now 7-1 on the Ken and Kathy Shield court.

“In the Canada West, with the parity there is now, it’s very difficult to do,” Beaucamp said of the sweep. “I thought it was important this weekend, because we got swept the other way last weekend.

“All of a sudden the Friday night game had a little more importance than it normally would because you had strung two losses together. It was important that we came back and got back on the winning track right away.”

It didn’t take long Saturday as they rode four first-half three-pointers from Michael Acheampong to lead 36-21 at the half. Acheampong was good on four of five from the arc in the first two quarters as he popped in 14 of his 18 overall points.

Reiner Theil was two of three from three-point land in the opening half and Chris McLaughlin turned in nine of his 17 overall points by the midway mark.

Acheampong finished 5-of-6 from the three-point arc and Brandon Dunlop was a perfect 4-for-4 from distance, including three in the last two minutes as he finished with 14.

“We did shoot it well tonight,” said Beaucamp, who was delighted with McLaughlin’s performance. “That was probably a break-out game for him since he got injured [ankle]. He was rolling prior to Christmas.”

Victoria improves to 9-5 in the Pacific Division behind 12-2 UBC as the T-Birds are on a six-game win streak. Brandon is just 3-11, well behind division-leading Alberta at 12-2.

The Vikes had canned four three-pointers on the way to a 20-8 lead after one quarter.

Terrell Evans, who had 26 points for Victoria in Friday’s 79-55 win over Regina on Friday, nailed back-to-back threes to start the second half and the rout was on as the Vikes went on a 14-0 run.

Brandon’s highlight of the night was Isiah James’s alley-oop slam early in the second quarter as part of a 10-0 run. The Bobcats also had a 13-0 stretch late, but there’s been little to root about for them this season.

In women’s play, Brandon teased the Vikes for a short while — tied 15-15 in the last minute of the first quarter — before the hosts de-clawed the winless Bobcats 74-49 to win their eighth in their last 10 conference games.

Victoria is now 10-4 while Brandon is a 0-14.

Debbie Yeboah led the way offensively with 17 points for associate coach Dani Sinclair’s Vikes, while Jessica Renfrew added 10. Jenna Bugiardini and Cassandra Goodis had nine and eight points respectively.

Tessla Rennie, who had a solid outing in Friday’s win over No. 2 Regina, left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury for the hard-charging Vikes and did not return.

Victoria’s hoops teams head to Thompson Rivers next weekend.

mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com