LANGLEY, B.C. – The Trinity Western Spartans earned a 34 point, 79-45, victory over the Thompson Rivers WolfPack with a solid all-around team performance Saturday afternoon at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C. The win improves the first place Spartans to 9-1, while the loss drops the WolfPack to 1-10. 

Forward Nicole Fransson (Edmonton) with 14 points and 13 rebounds, guard Jolene Vlieg (Leduc, Alta.) with 12 points and nine rebounds, and guard Hailey Van Roekel (Langley, B.C.) with 11 points and four rebounds led the Spartans. While Elana Sireni (Surrey, B.C.) with 11 points and four rebounds, and Priyanca Sundher (Surrey, B.C.) with 10 points led the WolfPack.

AS IT HAPPENED 
Off the tip the Spartans took control of the opening quarter to take a 12-2 lead. The WolfPack took a timeout and responded with a 6-0 run to close the contest to 12-8 for TWU midway through the frame. The Spartans then took over the final five minutes with a 11-2 run to end the quarter up 23-10.

The Spartans opened the second quarter with a 9-2 run to take a 32-12 lead midway through the quarter. The WolfPack had a better second half to the quarter as they finished with a 8-2 run to make the half-time score 34-20 for Trinity Western. TWU shot 46.9 percent (15/32) from the field, while TRU shot 20.6 percent (7/34). Van Roekel led the Spartans with nine points, while Sireni with the WolfPack with six points. TWU's Vlieg led both teams with seven rebounds, to go with her seven points.

In the third quarter the Spartans were able to double up the WolfPack, by way of a 13-3 run to open the quarter and eventually outscore TRU 20-10 to take a 54-30 lead into the final frame.

TWU remained in control over the final quarter, outscoring TRU 25-15, to make the final 79-45.

NOTABLE
•    The Spartans are now on a three game winning streak vs the WolfPack
•    Overall in Canada West play Trinity Western is now 20-13 against Thompson Rivers.
•    Prior to this afternoon, the Spartans largest margin of victory against the WolfPack is 31 points, 80-49, on January 26, 2018.
•    TWU is now 7-3 in their last ten games against TRU. 
•    The Spartans finished shooting 48.5 percent (33/68) from the field, while the WolfPack shot 24.6 percent (17/69). Trinity Western also had a 56-33 edge in rebounds.
•    TRU had a 12-10 edge in steals.

QUOTABLE
TWU Head Coach Cheryl Jean-Paul
"Today's game was the response we were hoping for from our team both defensively and offensively. We moved better, played with better tempo, challenged them up the floor and made them uncomfortable. There was an intensity and focus that we want to bring into this week of practice to set ourselves up for future games and I think we re-established what we're capable of doing as a team."

UP NEXT 
The Spartans will head to Abbotsford, B.C. next weekend, January 21-22, for a two game series with the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades. Game times on Friday and Saturday at the Envision Financial Athletic Centre are set for 8 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively. 

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-