Character and effort earned the Dinos two victories Jan. 16-17, one over the University of Victoria Vikes and the other over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.
The Dinos won both their weekend games through hard work and determination, following two disappointing losses in Saskatchewan one week ago.
Friday’s match against UVic was highlighted by Chris Wright’s 31 points and Surinder Grewal’s 18, leading the team to a 92-82 win.
"Chris is a tough match-up for UVic," said Dinos Head Coach Dan Vanhooren, citing Wright’s 6ïz
Saturday’s game was described by Dinos Assistant Coach Mike Thomas as "physical," and was much closer, but the Dinos were up to the challenge. Whit Hornsberger’s 20 points, Grewal’s 19, and John Riad’s 16 gave the Dinos a three-point advantage to win their second game of the weekend 72-69.
"We rebounded," said Vanhooren, who praised the team’s exceptional defensive effort.
"We showed ourselves what we could do defensively," agreed Grewal. "Everyone’s really fulfilling their roles and coming into their own."
There couldn’t be a better time for players to discover their niche than at this key point in the season. The Dinos travel to Edmonton to take on the University of Alberta Golden Bears Jan. 23-24, two games that, if won, could see them tied for first place in the standings. However, Vanhooren played down the importance of the U of A matches.
"Every game is the most important," he said. "We need to concentrate on the little things, and focus on winning one game at a time."
Grewal felt otherwise.
"They’re our biggest games of the year," he said. "We’re fighting for home-court advantage."
After one week of rewarding hard work, let’s hope that a second is equally remunerative.