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Women Vikes start second half with win

Debbie Yeboah put on a show at home and Jessica Renfrew turned in a fine supporting role as the University of Victoria Vikes women’s team rolled over the Winnipeg Wesmen 79-63 in Canada West basketball action in Winnipeg on Friday.
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Vikes veteran Debbie Yeboah poured in 20 points to lead UVic over Winnipeg on Friday.
Debbie Yeboah put on a show at home and Jessica Renfrew turned in a fine supporting role as the University of Victoria Vikes women’s team rolled over the Winnipeg Wesmen 79-63 in Canada West basketball action in Winnipeg on Friday.

Yeboah, of Winnipeg, finished with 20 points and filled in more than admirably when point guard Cassandra Goodis got into foul trouble, while Renfrew had a game-high 21 as the Vikes improved to 7-4 in the women’s standings.

The Vikes’ top two scorers — Yeboah was averaging 18.4 a game to Renfrew’s 13.3, fourth and 16th in the conference respectively — during the first half of the season picked up right where they left off.

The visiting Vikes went off on the Wesmen to the tune of a 26-8 run in the third quarter, just after the Wesmen had tied it at 39-39 on Yael Kaplan’s three-pointer and subsequent free throw on the play.

“We sort of went off on our girls, as coaches, after that happened. We came out very slow in the third quarter, but the girls responded after that,” said Vikes associate coach Dani Sinclair.

“We had some good performances from girls off the bench, like Jenny Lewis, who gave us a huge spark. And Debbie had to play point for us with Cassandra being in foul trouble.”

Yeboah nearly capped off a triple double, finishing with eight assists and nine rebounds.

Yeboah, Lewis and Allison Mulock all canned three-pointers in the last two minutes of the pivotal third quarter to stretch it to 65-47. Mulock hit hers with four seconds left after she had buried a three near the buzzer at the half for a 39-33 lead at the midway point.

As a team, the Vikes shot 53 pr cent from the three-point line.

Lewis finished with 10 points, Jenna Bugiardini chipped in with seven and Mulock and Goodis had six each for the Vikes.

“It was one of those games where you can feel really good about it because it was a good, overall team win,” said Sinclair.

Kaplan had 15 for Winnipeg which falls to 5-7.

In the men’s gamer, the Vikes dropped a 64-61 decision to Winnipeg, allowing a 45-40 third-quarter lead to slip away to fall to 7-4.

Terrell Evans led Victoria with 15 points.

UVic falls to 7-4 on the season, while the Wesmen improve to 9-3.

Both UVic teams will head across town today to face the University of Manitoba Bisons. Game times are 4 p.m. for the women and and 6 p.m. for the men.

mannicchiarico@timescolonist.com