Gee-Gees ride away with bronze medal after 20-point win over Victoria

HALIFAX (U SPORTS) – The No. 2-seeded Ottawa Gee-Gees dropped the top seed Victoria Vikes 78-58 in the bronze medal game at the 2023 U SPORTS Men's Final 8 on Sunday afternoon at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax. With the win, Ottawa picks up their fourth medal in men's basketball in the past 10 years.

The Gee-Gees went on a 7-0 run in the first three minutes before the Vikes hit a three-pointer to get on the scoreboard. Victoria went on a run of their own and closed the lead to two points about halfway through the quarter. Kevin Otoo hit a pair of triples for Ottawa to help them keep the lead, and the Gee-Gees lead 15-14 at the end of the first 10 minutes.

Ottawa's offence pushed the lead to five in the first few minutes, and their transition game helped them go on another 7-0 run about midway through the quarter. Victoria kept making shots though, and Dominick Oliveri came up big for the Vikes on the boards. The teams headed to the locker room with the Gee-Gees up 36-29.

Vikes first team All-Canadian Diego Maffia started the quarter by draining a three and added another a few minutes later to draw his team even. Ottawa kept up with the tough defence and sharp shooting, though, and regained momentum, pushing their lead to 13 by the end of the quarter.

Ottawa came out with some emotion in the fourth quarter and pushed their lead to 22 in the first few minutes, with Jacques-Mélaine Guemeta hitting back to back three pointers. The Gee-Gees kept rolling and cruised to a 78-58 victory. Otoo was the Nike Top Performer for Ottawa with 20 points and three steals. Victoria's Maffia had 20 points, two rebounds, and two assists to earn Nike Top Performer for his team.

Nike Top Performers

• Victoria: Diego Maffia
• Ottawa: Kevin Otoo