CALGARY – With both teams holding an 11-5 record, the Victoria Vikes were the ones who improved to 12-5 when they defeated the University of Calgary Dinos 58-54 at Jack Simpson Gym on Jan. 31.

Tamara Jarrett was once again the leading sorer for Calgary with 12 points. She was the only player on the floor to record a double-double, adding 11 rebounds. Both Kristie Shiels and Ashley Hirons scored 10 points each while Jessica Thielen recorded eight points and nine rebounds. 

For the Vikes, Jessica Renfrew scored a game-high 22 points on the night. Jenna Bugiardini added 13 more for Victoria. Point guard Cassandra Goodis recorded eight points and eight rebounds.

The Vikes took the lead from the get-go, going up 7-5. Sloppy play from both teams as they tried to find their ground produced a number of turnovers on both ends of the court. Bugiardini sunk a three-pointer to push her point total to seven early on.

At an 11-10 stalemate, it took until a minute left in the game for the Vikes to get on the board again, going up 14-10. Two turnovers would cost the Dinos six more points as Victoria headed into the second up 20-13.

With Renfrew a eleven points already in the game, the Dinos were forced to keep a close watch on her, but to no avail as the Vikes lead got up to ten points. Calgary had already recorded 12 turnovers thanks to some great defence from the Vikes. 

Half way through the second, Calgary began to turn the heat up, going on a 5-0 run, forcing Victoria to call a timeout at 25-18. With Hirons and Jarrett on fire, the Dinos' run continued, closing the gap and tying the game up at 25 on a 14-0 run. They took their first lead of the game with a bucket from Jarrett and shut down the Vikes on offence. Halftime ended 31-26 in favour of Calgary, allowing Victoria to put up just six points of their own all quarter. 

In the third, the Dinos held their lead and extended it to eight at 40-32 before a lull in scoring occurred again. Slowly, the Vikes began to creep up on Calgary's lead in the final minutes of the quarter. Turnover troubles began to haunt the Dinos and their lead would diminish to just one points at the end of the third with a score of 43-42, setting up what should be a good fourth quarter finish.

Both teams battled it out to start out the final quarter. A quick four points from Aimee Wilson off the bench pushed Calgary's lead back up to five at 49-44. The lead wouldn't last though as Victoria pulled out two back-to-back three pointers to take their first lead since the second quarter. 

Without any scoring for a solid two minutes, head coach Damian Jennings called a timeout. Unfortunately from there, the Vikes went on a 5-0 run to earn a six-point lead with less than three minutes left in the game. 

Thielen stopped the run with a jumper to put Calgary within four, but it wasn't enough as time ran out on the Dinos before they could regain the lead once again. The Vikes prevailed, winning 58-54. 

The Dinos will take on the UBC Thunderbirds tomorrow night while the Vikes head to Lethbridge to face the Pronghorns.