They don't wear masks or capes but Debbie Yeboah and Cassandra Goodis are becoming the University of Victoria Vikes women's basketball team's version of the dynamic duo.
And when the going got tough Friday night at McKinnon Gym against the Trinity Western Spartans, the Vikes' lethal backcourt took matters into their own hands and helped UVic snap a two-game losing skid with a 73-61 victory.
After a back-and-forth first half that saw the Vikes hold a five-point lead at the break, Yeboah, who missed most of the second quarter thanks to foul trouble, and Goodis helped the Vikes go on a 12-0 run to end the third quarter and put a dagger into the heart of the Spartans.
"Debbie did her thing in the third," said Vikes coach Dani Sinclair, whose team improved its record to 3-2.
"She hit some big shots, provided a ton of energy and was all over the floor."
Yeboah finished with a game-high 25 points, 17 of them coming in the second half.
"We just came out with more energy in third after the coach gave us a bit of a talk," said Yeboah, the Vikes' leading scorer coming into the game with a 13.3 average.
Goodis, in her third year out of Penticton Secondary, ran the floor with perfection in the second half, racking up seven assists to go with her 12 points.
"Cass is the perfect point guard right now," Yeboah said. "She sees the floor so well and knows what plays to call and finds the open person. I just love playing with her."
Things weren't so perfect for the Vikes in the first half. Trinity Western's star player, Calgary native Holly Strom, was causing havoc on the offensive boards. Not even the fresh legs of Vikes centre Kristen Monesterski, who was playing her first game since an ankle injury back in early September, could contain Strom. The Spartans 5-foot-11, fourth-year forward also poured in 25 points to go with eight rebounds.
"It's disappointing because we knew going in Holly was their go-to player, and we just didn't do what we wanted to do against her," Sinclair said. "She dominated - there's no question about that."
Sinclair says her team had better be a lot better at the start of second game of the double header tonight, or they'll need even more heroics.
"We just didn't come to play at the start. Defensively we were terrible and our shooting was off," Sinclair said. "We have to be better in all aspects of the game, that's all there is to it."
Prince George product Chelsea McMullen chipped in 11 points for the Vikes, while Jessica Renfrew, Jenny Lewis and Monester-ski all had seven points.
Claremont grad Renfrew had a game-high eight rebounds.
The Vikes moved to a perfect 3-0 at home, and they'll battle the Spartans again tonight at 5 p.m.
In the men's game that followed, Trinity Western sharp-shooter Mark Perrin was a one-man wrecking crew.
The third-year guard from Toronto, sixth in Canada West with a 21-point average, had a game-high 27 points and nine rebounds as the Spartans pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Vikes 71-61.
It was the Vikes' first loss of the season as they drop to 4-1, while the Spartans improved to 2-3.
Michael Acheampong led the Vikes with 20 points, while Terrell Evans added 18 and 11 boards.
The two teams will go at it again tonight at McKinnon. Tipoff is 7 p.m. [email protected]
