On Sunday afternoon at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre, the University of Calgary Dinos and University of Victoria Vikes battled for gold in the final match of the U Sports men’s basketball championship, with the Vikes securing a dominant 82–53 victory.
A high stakes game, both teams opened with high energy and intensity in their quest for the title. UVic was looking to take home its first championship since 1997, while all eyes were on the Dino’s U Sports Player of the Year Nate Petrone.
Calgary opened with a striking play, driving straight to the ring. However, it was the Vikes who took control of the game with their unmatched offensive and defensive play, outscoring the Dinos every single quarter.
Shadynn Smid opened the scoring for the Vikes but all players showed initiative, taking on various offensive roles for an all-round effort. Renoldo Robinson facilitated the attack, Sam Maillet brought the physicality and Ethan Boag and Smid were clinical in the paint.
“We played together, we played for each other,” said Maillet after the game.
On the other hand, Calgary was a one-man show, relying on Petrone for points. But he was held back, being heavily marked and often double teamed in the first quarter. Blocked, the Dinos trailed 10–2 in the first five minutes. The Vikes controlled the game’s pace and had Calgary backpedalling defensively, especially during the transition. Beckett Johnson eventually broke the Dinos’ scoring slump with a field goal but it came too late, and the Vikes ended the first quarter with a comfortable 18–6 lead.
The second quarter was similar with the Vikes outplaying the Dinos. Robinson opened the scoring and combined with Boag to put up a collective 20 points in the first half. The Vikes increasingly made chances in tight spots, using great communication and physicality to score. The Dinos picked up the pace a little, getting points from Alan Spoonhunter and Martynas Sabaliauskas. However, they continued to slack on the offensive rebounds 11–2, leading to 14 UVic fastbreak points in the first half. At the half, the Vikes led 40–23.
The Dinos attempted to regain their composure in the third quarter with Petrone and Spoonhunter earning a few more points. Calgary showed a more well-rounded effort but Victoria kept the offensive pace, maintaining their lead and frazzling the Dinos, who shot only a 27.3 field goal percentage all game. The Dinos improved on offensive rebounds this quarter, scoring a few second chance points, but their same weaknesses persisted and they were down 65–42 after three.
Calgary had little hope for a comeback in the final quarter as the Vikes ran away with the game, dunking over their spaced-out, tired defence. The Dinos committed a few more turnovers, which the Vikes took advantage of. The game ended 82–53, and the Vikes clinched the gold medal, their ninth in program history.
“It’s pretty amazing, we’ve dreamt of this,” said Vikes head coach Murphy Burnatowski. “The group worked so hard all year and I’m just really, really proud of them.”
This article is part of our 2025 Final 8 coverage. Follow us at @UbysseySportson X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, as well as @theubyssey on TikTok, to follow our U Sports basketball coverage starting March 12.
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