Kayla Dykstra has had the other 13 ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ West women's basketball teams scratching their heads all season.
Dykstra, the third-year post has delivered big numbers for the University of Victoria Vikes in 23 games. She was the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ West's top scorer with 18.6 points per game and the best rebounder at 11.2 per contest. Her field goal percentage of 61.4 was also No. 1. Dykstra finished the regular season in style, as she was named the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ West athlete of the week in back-to-back weekends.
Dykstra and the stingy Vikes' defence will be just two of the obstacles the UBC Thunderbirds will try to hurdle in the best-of-three Pacific Division final which begins tonight, 7 p.m. at McKinnon Gym. The
second game is scheduled for 7 p.m. tomorrow and if a third is necessary, it will be played at 3 p.m. Sunday. The series winner advances to the Pacific Division final against either the Simon Fraser Clan or the Trinity Western Spartans.
Both the Vikes and the T-Birds are playing some of their best basketball of the season. UVic, ranked No. 5 by Canadian Interuniversity Sport, has won nine consecutive games and 15 of their last 16 to finish the regular season with a 17-6 record. The Thunderbirds, defending CIS champions, had a 13-10 record and won 10 of their last 12 games.
"We definitely have some momentum coming into the playoffs,'' said UVic veteran Jane Anholt. "All year our defence has played tough. Against UBC, we can't let their best players beat us.''
Anholt is totally aware that UBC will be playing many different defensive schemes in an effort to take Dykstra off her game.
"I'm sure UBC will be double- and triple-teaming her at times,'' said Anholt. "Our shooters just have to be ready to shoot and make some shots when they are all over Kayla.''
The Vikes' defence was the best in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ West, allowing only 54.8 points per game.
"We have had success on defence because of our hard work,'' said Vikes' coach Brian Cheng. "We have outworked other teams, made some shots and played enough D to win games. These teams know each other so well that it really doesn't matter where they play as it will be a hard-fought series. It is too bad that after this weekend one good team will be eliminated.''
Fourth-year post Leanne Evans was the top UBC scorer this season, averaging 11.2 points per game. Evans, Zara Huntley and Montanna Dunmore will likely be asked by coach Deb Huband to pay special attention to Dykstra. Evans, at six-foot-two, is a great shot blocker and rebounder.
"UBC has really grown as a team in the second half,'' said Cheng. "Their posts [Evans and Huntley] are playing very well. We have tried to prepare our team for all kinds of situations, including the multiple looks that Kayla will get.''
UVic men drop opener
Ryan MacKinnon missed a jump shot at the buzzer as the men Vikes fell 64-63 to the Trinity Western Spartans in the opener of the Pacific Division semifinal final at Langley. The Vikes were down 14-2 early in the contest but came back to take a seven-point lead with 3:35 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Trinity's Louis Hurd nailed a three-point shot with nine seconds remaining to give the Spartans the one-point lead. Brian Banman had 18 points for Trinity while Hurd had 15. Jacob Doerksen from the Spartans was held to nine points and 13 rebounds.
Tyler Hass led the Vikes with 20 points and eight rebounds. The second game is tonight, 8 p.m., at Trinity Western.
