The banner count keeps climbing in Victoria.
The Victoria Vikes added another subheading to one of the densest dissertations in Canada West history Friday night, defeating the UBC Thunderbirds 89-74 to capture the conference championship.
It is the 19th Canada West title for Victoria, the most in league history, and another emphatic reminder of the program’s grip on the conference since Canada West formally separated from the WCIAA structure in 1972-73.
If there was any suspense about how this championship would tilt, it vanished quickly.
Renoldo Robinson, already one of the program’s most productive playoff performers, set the tone, leading Victoria to a 29-12 first quarter lead. The senior guard finished with 34 points on 11-of-18 shooting, including three three-pointers and a 9-of-11 night at the free-throw line.
Robinson’s playoff résumé was already historic entering the game — 287 career playoff points, fourth in program history — and Friday only strengthened his case among Victoria’s postseason greats.
Every time UBC hinted at a push, he had an answer.
When the Thunderbirds cut the deficit to 70-58 early in the fourth quarter, Robinson steadied the Vikes with a mid-range jumper and a string of free throws. In the final minute, Victoria forced back-to-back empty possessions before Shadynn Smid knocked down two free throws to close it out.
UBC won the rebounding battle, 42-36, and got 24 points from Holt Tomie and 17 from Nikola Guzina, but turnovers proved decisive. The T-birds committed 20 giveaways, and Victoria converted them into 25 points.
Cameron Slaymaker scored 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting and hit two three-pointers, while Shadynn Smid added 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting and made both of his free throws in the final 23 seconds to seal the win. Ryan Gallagher contributed eight points and three assists.
UBC is no stranger to the Canada West stage, with 11 conference championships of its own, including the 2019-20 title.
The Thunderbirds’ playoff history is rich; from Casey Archibald’s program-record 541 postseason points to modern scoring bursts from Manroop Clair and Jadon Cohee.
But in the broader landscape of Canada West history, Victoria remains the league’s measuring stick.
The Vikes won their first conference’s championship in 1977-78 and then built a dynasty that still frames the team’s modern identity. Between 1979-80 and 1983-84, Victoria captured five straight national championships, establishing itself as the standard not just in the West but across the country.
Since joining the Canada West era in 1972-73, Victoria has:
- Won 19 conference championships (most all-time)
- Captured nine national titles
- Claimed four Canada West titles in the last 5 years (2021-24, 2025–26)
Friday’s win is impossible to consider an outlier and not a defined trend.
Victoria entered the night with a 60-season overall record of 1,179-602 (.662) and a conference mark of 752-321 (.701). Sustained excellence across coaching eras, generations, and stylistic shifts.
Under head coach Murphy Burnatowski, the modern iteration has only sharpened that edge. The Vikes are now 57-6 overall across the past two seasons and have followed last year’s national title with another conference crown.
The Vikes are not simply winning championships — they are defining an era.