Racking up eight assists in a UVic Vikes 72-55 win over Brandon has put Cassandra Goodis atop the Canada West assist list.
The former Pen High Laker shattered the mark previously held by Simon Fraser’s Lani Gibbons, 539, last weekend and has one more weekend in women’s basketball to add to it.
Coming into the weekend, Goodis, a senior point guard, said it was surreal to have her name thrown around with such amazing players.
“Individual records have never really been something I’ve chased, but what means the most is how excited and supportive my teammates have been about it,” said Goodis on the Vikes website. “To play with a group of people that are genuinely excited and rooting for me is the greatest feeling in the world.”
Just like how she plays night in and night out on the court, Goodis was quick to recognize her teammates when reflecting on the accomplishment.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to play with some incredible players in my five years at UVic who have made my job pretty easy,” said Goodis, who averages 6.5 assists per game and came into the season sitting fifth on the assist list. “ When you’ve got guards surrounding you that can shoot the ball, and posts that can catch and finish like I’ve been luckily enough to have, passing the ball gets pretty easy.”
Goodis’s coach Dani Sinclair said the feat is pretty incredible and well deserved since her arrival from Penticton in 2009.
“From day one, she has been a great playmaker for us,” said Sinclair. “She just anticipates and sees things develop. She helps making everybody better.”
What has impressed the team most is how Goodis has embraced a leadership role.
“She’s for sure our court leader. On and off the court she’s been so good with everybody. The young players see her as a great role model. It’s been a huge key to our success for sure.”
Sinclair added that Goodis should be extremely proud of the company she finds herself in at the top of that list and achieving the milestone represents both an individual and team accomplishment, something everyone on the squad as well as in previous years can be proud of.
Goodis was named the conference’s second star of the week following her performance on the weekend to help the Vikes improve to 11-7 after starting 2-6. With one record out of the way, Goodis is also closing in on another Vikes record, as she currently sits just three steals back of Lindsay Anderson’s 269. Achieving that mark would also place Goodis second all-time for steals in Canada West.
Goodis will close out her last regular season games as a Vike this weekend in a fitting “I heart McKinnon” night that will call all Vikes alumni back to the University of Victoria campus in celebration of the 40-year-old McKinnon Gym that will no longer be the home of the Vikes basketball program. Games will be broadcast as usual at uvic.canadawest.tv.
