LANGLEY, British Columbia – After Trinity Western held a seven-point halftime lead, Regina took over in the third quarter, outscoring the Spartans 27-13 to spark what would turn into a 96-81 win Saturday at the Langley Events Centre.

The Spartans (1-11) got off to a hot start from beyond the arc, knocking down 10 3-pointers in the first half, to pace TWU to a 47-40 halftime edge.

But, the Spartans deep threat disappeared in the third quarter – with Justin Bakuteka (Toronto) out with a first-half injury, TWU went zero for five from 3-point range – and, at the same time, the home side got into foul trouble. Regina (7-5) took advantage as the Cougars went nine for 19 from the free throw line to help open a lead.

With a 67-60 advantage going into the final quarter, Regina never gave the Spartans any hope, holding TWU at bay the rest of the way.

Bakuteka, who had a career-high 35 points on Friday, went down with an injury midway through the second quarter and only played one minute in the second half. He finished with 16 points.

Kelvin Smith (Los Angeles) had a team-high 18 points while Tyus Allen (White Rock, B.C.) had 14 points. Peter Spangehl (South Surrey, B.C.) had a career-high 14 rebounds.

Jonathan Tull had 28 points to lead Regina while Travis Sylvestre had 19 points, Brandon Tull had 15 points and Mike Malecha had 14 points. Will Tallman had 11 points and seven rebounds. Tull also had seven rebounds.

The Spartans had a 55-35 edge in rebounds and a 28-7 advantage in offensive boards but Regina went to the free throw line 49 times.

"Defensively, we got out of position and were reaching in and taking poor fouls. You can't win when you send a team to the free throw line 39 times in the second half," said Spartans coach Scott Allen. "We had so many more shots than them. We did an outstanding job of offensive rebounding. The effort was there but we were out of position defensively and that's just mental mistakes.

"It's huge when you lose your top scorer and your captain. But I was happy that the young guys we put on the court went out there and competed."

In the first quarter, the tandem of Bakuteka and Smith combined for seven 3-pointers on just 12 attempts. Bakuteka's 13 points led all scorers as TWU possessed a 27-20 lead after 10 minutes.

The Cougars started to find their rhythm in the second quarter and were step-for-step with the Spartans as the teams traded points until halftime.

Regina opened the second half with a 9-2 run to tie the game 49-49 and the momentum shifted. Then, with Regina up 56-55, the Cougars went on an 8-0 run, capped by a Jonathan Tull lay-up that turned the game Regina's way for good.

In the fourth quarter, TWU closed within four points after a Smith lay-up made it 71-67. But Regina quickly responded and two minutes was ahead by 12 points. The Cougars held off the Spartans down the stretch.

The Spartans have a bye next week before hosting UBC Jan. 23-24 at the LEC. Regina is back on the court Jan. 16-17 when it will travel to play Saskatchewan.

Game Notes: TWU had 21 turnovers to Regina's 25…Regina shot 55.8 per cent from the field (29-52) while TWU shot 36.7 per cent (29-79)…the Spartans were 0 for 13 from 3-point range in the second half.

-TW-