Calgary Dinos, Victoria Vikes set to meet for U Sports men’s basketball title

The U of C Dinos, led by Nate Petrone, advanced to the finals of the U Sports men's basketball tourney Friday night. (Photo: X@DinosMBB)

Nate Petrone led the way with 30 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as the Calgary Dinos thumped the UPEI Panthers 87-54 on Friday in U Sports men’s basketball Final 8 semifinal action.

Petrone, the U Sports Player of the Year, also had five steals in 36 minutes of action as the second-seeded Dinos are set to make their first title game appearance since 2019 on Sunday.

“We felt like underdogs, no matter what,” Petrone said after the game. “We just had that mentality and we are going to keep rolling with it. [The final] is going to be a familiar foe. We know their players very well, and they know us. It’s going to be very physical, and we are so excited for it.”

Petrone stepped up his game when the Dinos were forced to play their most important game of the year minus two starters, all-star Noah Wharton and centre Declan Peterson.

The Dinos, who will next face the Victoria Vikes, won their lone national title in 2018.

Kyree Thompson scored a team-high 16 points for the sixth-seeded Panthers, who upset host UBC 90-72 on Thursday to advance to the semifinals. UPEI will meet Ottawa in the bronze-medal game on Sunday.

Earlier, the Vikes earned a spot in Sunday’s title game with a 89-75 win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

Geoffrey James had a team-high 21 points off the bench for the fourth-seeded Vikes. Shadynn Smid had 18 points and eight rebounds, with Sam Maillet contributing 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Jacques-Melaine Guemeta scored a team-high 24 points for the top-seeded Gee-Gees, who had four of five starters all score in double figures.

Victoria, which earned bronze in the Canada West playoffs, now finds itself in its first final appearance since 2006. The Vikes had won the previous three Canada West titles but failed to make the title game in the Final 8.

It will be the fourth time the two teams meet this season. Victoria won the first two, and the Dinos won two weeks ago, in the conference semi-final.

Game time is Sunday at 2 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast on CBC and Sportsnet.

With files from The Canadian Press