Veinot leads Tigers to 5th at Final 8

EDMONTON – Keevan Veinot finished his phenomenal U SPORTS Final Eight run with a game-high 30 points to lead the Dalhousie Tigers to a 98-72 victory over the Victoria Vikes in the Consolation Final, Sunday afternoon at the Saville Centre. 

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Veinot, an AUS first-team all-star, finishes the U SPORTS Final Eight having scored above 20 in all three Tigers games. He was supported by a strong shooting outing from Dalhousie, including 20 points from fifth-year fellow guard Alex Carson. 

"We were really disappointed Friday, we thought we could win this tournament. But credit to the team, we have a lot of seniors, and they wanted to end their season on a high note," said Dal head coach Rick Plato. "And to me, both Carson and Veinot might be the best duo in the country, and they showed why this afternoon." 

Victoria was propped by great games from second-year Diego Maffia and fifth-year Matthew Ellis, who finished with 18 and 17 points respectively. 

It was a wire-to-wire victory for the Tigers, who led for the entirety of the game. The Vikes were unable to slow down the Tigers' offensive attack, which finished with a 56.7 shooting percentage and made 15 threes. Dalhousie's top-ranked three-point defence was in full effect Sunday, holding the Vikes to just six for 21 from beyond the arc. 

The Vikes had to dig out of a hole early, as Veinot continued his great tournament with six points from two threes in the first quarter to support the Tigers to an early 26-16 lead. 

Second-year guard Diego Maffia would propel Victoria back into the game in the second quarter, scoring seven points and adding two steals. The Tigers would survive the Vikes run, however, and entered halftime up 46-34.

Veinot led all scorers at the break with 19 points, shooting four of six from downtown. 

With the win, the Tigers finish the Final Eight with a 2-1 record and a fifth-place national finish, and their 17-3 overall record included the program's ninth AUS title. The Vikes finish the 2021-22 campaign with a 21-2 record and their Canada West-leading 16^th conference championship. 

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Dalhousie Tigers: Keevan Veinot
Victoria Vikes: Diego Maffia