NAME: Vikes
UNIVERSITY: Victoria
CATEGORY: Team
SPORT: Men’s Basketball
YEARS ACTIVE: 1979-1986
HIGHLIGHTS:
20-0 in 1979-80, first perfect regular season in Canada West history
Six Canada West championships between 1980 and 1985
Seven consecutive CIAU championships from 1980 to 1986
Won 28 consecutive post-season games from March 1980 to March 1985
BIOGRAPHY:
From 1980 to 1986, the University of Victoria men’s basketball team won an unprecedented seven consecutive national championships, a record-smashing feat only equalled once since.
With legendary coach Ken Shields at the helm, the Vikes’ regular season record comprising 1979-80 to 1985-86 was 91-9, including three unbeaten seasons and two campaigns in which they lost just once. UVic also won the Canada West men’s basketball title five times in that span.
Victoria’s run began in 1979-80, with a historic campaign that saw the Vikes go 20-0 tp have the first perfect regular season in Canada West men’s basketball history.
That ‘79-80 Vikes squad has been inducted into the UVic Sports Hall of Fame, in 2003.
Including the Canada West playoffs, Victoria won 28 consecutive post-season games from March 7, 1980 to March 3, 1985. Over the run of seven straight national titles, Victoria was 21-0 at the CIAU championship tournament. There, in the gold medal final, the Vikes defeated Waterloo three times, Brandon twice, and Acadia and St. Mary’s once each.
The seven-year period saw the Vikes snag a host of individual honours, including CIAU Player of the Year (Eli Pasquale in 1983-84) and Coach of the Year (Shields in 1981-82 and 1982-83), while seven players combined for 10 All-Canadian selections.
Additionally, six different Vikes received the championship MVP award: Rene Dolctti in 1980, Kelly Durkshire in 1982, Greg Wiltjer in 1984, Phil Ohl in 1985, and Cord Clemens in 1986, with Eli Pasquale a two-time winner, in 1981 and 1983.
TEAM MEMBERS - Robbie Parris, Chris Hebb, Mickey Welder, Ian Hyde-Lay, Ted Anderson, Gary Budd, Billy Turney-Loos, Rene Dolcetti, Craig Higgins, John Kazanowski, Ken Kirzinger, Tom Narbeshuber, Kelly Dukeshire, Gerald Kazanowski, Greg Kazanowski, Bruce Hamilton, Eli Pasquale, Kevin Dancs, Jim Larson, Dan Brosseuk, Quinn Groenheyde, Ryan Burles, Ken Larson, Phil Ohl, David Sheehan, Dave Bakken, Vito Pasquale, John Munro, Greg Wiltjer, Randy Steele, Shawn Kalinovich, Cord Clemens, Graham Taylor, Clint Hamilton, Ellis Whalen, Jamie Newman, Lloyd Scrubb, Rob Kreke, Jerry Divoky, Wade Loukes, Brian Kruger, Geoff McKay, Ken Shields (Head Coach), Norm Vickery (Assistant Coach), Jim Duddridge (Assistant Coach), Bill Chapman (Manager)