VANCOUVER, B.C. ­– Trinity Western completed an undefeated semester on Saturday, defeating UBC 68-61 at the War Memorial Gym.
 
The Spartans (6-0) forced overtime with a buzzer-beating effort by Nicole Fransson (Edmonton) over two UBC (3-7) defenders.
 
Fransson was truly unstoppable in Saturday's game, continuing the outstanding start she has had in the 2021-22 season. Fransson dropped 25 points, grabbing 18 rebounds and completing seven assists in the process.
 
AS IT HAPPENED
A defensive battle ensued in the first quarter between the two Canada West sides on Saturday. With neither team being given any easy opportunities, the tone was set heading into the second quarter as similar events took place. The first half wrapped up at a 29-25 advantage for the Thunderbirds.
 
Nicole Fransson started to take control over the game with the Spartans at odds. Grabbing offensive boards to keep possessions alive, finishing plays at the rim, and creating for others on the perimeter. Fransson was accompanied by Hailey Van Roekel, (Langley, B.C.) who scored a career-high of 10 points in conference play, and Jolene Vlieg (Leduc, Alta.) who constantly got to the line, converting all ten chances she had at the free throw line.
 
The fourth quarter saw the Spartans surrender a lead to the Thunderbirds late. With UBC attempting to put the clamps down on Fransson, the third-year post player sunk a buzzer-beating shot to send the game to overtime.
 
The Spartans rolled in overtime as Kianna Wiens (Regina) sealed the deal with a steal, leading to a fast-break layup to give TWU a substantial lead at the end of the game.
 
NOTABLE

• The Spartans are now 3-0 over the Thunderbirds in the 2021-22 season.
• Jayden Gill (Abbotsford, B.C.) was an understated presence for the Spartans on Saturday, compiling a game-high of eight assists across 42 minutes played. Gill was also a major defensive presence for the Spartans, making timely stops while blocking three shots on the night.
• After nearly breaking TWU's single-game block record in Friday's victory over the Thunderbirds, Nicole Fransson's 18 rebounds were enough to post the second most in Spartans history over the span of a game.

QUOTABLE
TWU Head Coach Cheryl Jean-Paul
"It's not about me at this point, it is about the athletes figuring out what it takes to be confident in close games. It is fun to see the determination on their faces. When we sent a game to overtime a few weeks ago they were super excited. This time, they rushed to the bench and sat down because we had five more minutes left. Seeing that level of maturity improve from one close game to the next one is fun. They're developing their cohesiveness in all of these close games. At the end of the day, knowing that we can be down, or that the game has gone against us, yet we can still find a way to win.

"I think last year hurt [Nicole Fransson] the most. Being able to practice with contact is really important for her game, so it has been fun watching her confidence progress as a physically dominant post. We knew she had the capacity to do what she does, so seeing her step into that is fun. Nicole and Kianna [Wiens] were our main scoring threats, but now we're seeing Nicole become a more dominant rebounder, creating for others as well. It's not just her scoring and rebounding that has come a long way, it is her game as a whole."

UP NEXT
The Spartans will travel to the Tournament Capital Centre after the break to play Thompson Rivers (1-7) on Jan. 7^th and 8^th.
 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men's rugby. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 12 U SPORTS team championships and 29 Canada West team championships.
 
-TW-