VANCOUVER 鈥� Renoldo Robinson wasn鈥檛 even born the last time the University of Victoria Vikes lifted the Canadian men鈥檚 university basketball championship trophy.
On Sunday, Robinson helped cut down the net down after the Vikes defeated the Calgary Dinos 82-53 to win their first title in 28 years in the men鈥檚 basketball Final 8 championship game at UBC's War Memorial Gymnasium.
鈥淢an, it feels amazing,鈥� said Robinson, a six-foot-three guard from Montreal, who led both teams with 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds. 鈥淚鈥檓 so happy and grateful.鈥�
Geoffrey James scored 17 points for the Vikes, including hitting three three-pointers. Ethan Boag added 12 points while Shadynn Smid had 11 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.
Victoria was playing without star player Diego Maffia, the team鈥檚 all-time scoring leader, who suffered a knee injury in January.
Victoria built a comfortable 40-23 lead at halftime, hitting 17 of their 43 baskets.
Head coach Murphy Burnatowski said watching his team lift the trophy and celebrate with friends and family in the stands was like being in a dream.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e really had time to process it,鈥� said the first-year coach. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing. I feel like it was really a fairy tale year for us. The way I鈥檝e seen the boys come together as a team and a family, it鈥檚 truly unbelievable.鈥�
The win was also some revenge for the No. 4-seeded Vikes who lost 77-68 to Calgary in last month鈥檚 Canada West semifinal after Victoria went 20-0 during the regular season.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e the team that ruined our perfect season,鈥� said Burnatowski. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 in the back of everyone鈥檚 minds. We were laser focused this entire week.鈥�
The Vikes won seven consecutive titles between 1980 and 1986 but had not advanced to the championship game since 2006, losing to Carleton. Victoria last won the title in 1997 with a win over McMaster.
鈥淢y first year, I didn鈥檛 really know much about the Vikes,鈥� said Robinson, who was born in 2001 and is playing in his third season in Victoria.
鈥淎s I progressed, I realized the Vikes Nation, there鈥檚 a history behind this. The community is amazing.鈥�
One of the keys to Victoria鈥檚 victory was containing Calgary鈥檚 Nate Petrone, who was named the U Sports men鈥檚 basketball player of the year earlier in the week after leading the country with 484 points in 20 games.
Petrone didn鈥檛 score until he hit a free throw in the second quarter and finished the game with 10 points.
Victoria鈥檚 Sam Maillet, named the U Sports men鈥檚 defensive player of the year, said stopping Petrone was a team effort.
鈥淣ate is an amazing player and so skilled,鈥� said Maillet, a fifth-year guard from Moncton, N.B. 鈥淲e had guys we could just throw at him. We just kept the pressure up and did the best we could, and we did a good job.鈥�
Alan Spoonhunter led the Dinos with 20 points, while Dylan Lutes had 15 rebounds.
Calgary coach Dan Vanhooren said he was proud of the way his team played.
鈥淲e showed up and the kids played hard,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e just couldn鈥檛 get anything to fall.鈥�
Victoria advanced to the final with a 89-75 upset over the top-seeded Ottawa Gee-Gees on Saturday.
Calgary, seeded second in the tournament, defeated the University of P.E.I. Panthers 87-54 in the other semifinal final.
Earlier, Ottawa beat P.E.I. 86-70 to take the bronze medal.
Calgary won the title in 2018 then lost to Carleton in the 2019 final.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 16, 2025.
Jim Morris, The Canadian Press
