LANGLEY, B.C. – Trinity Western roared back from a 12-point third quarter deficit to earn a thrilling 90-85 overtime victory over Lethbridge Friday at the Langley Events Centre.
David Mutabazi hit a three-pointer early in overtime to put TWU ahead 75-74 and a collective effort from the Spartans pushed the rest of the way pushed the win over the line, as TWU earned their second victory of the season. TWU is now 2-1. Lethbridge is 1-2.
Mason Bourcier (Kelowna, B.C.) played all but 11 seconds in the contest, scoring 15 points, picking up 12 assists, earning seven steals and grabbing two boards.
Connor Platz (Langley) earned a double-double, leading all scorers with 24 points to go with 11 rebounds. Mutabazi finished with 18 points and six rebounds.
Jeff Rodehutskors led the Pronghorns with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Kymani Pollard had 16 points, Kevin Ibula had 12 points and Angelo Mbituyimana added 11 points to go with seven rebounds.
The TWU win snaps a nine-game losing streak against Lethbridge, dating back to Jan. 18, 2013, when the Spartans last beat the Pronghorns (96-72).
The Spartans shot 38.8 per cent from the field (31-80), while Lethbridge shot 42.5 per cent (34-80).
TWU had the advantage at the free throw line, going 23-30 while Lethbridge was 11-19.
The Spartans outscored the Pronghorns 41-29 over the final 15 minutes, including overtime.
AS IT HAPPENED
On the strength of 12 points from Platz, the Spartans took a 35-32 lead into halftime.
The Pronghorns opened the third quarter on a roll, building a 51-39 lead after a 15-0 run early in the frame. The Spartans were outscored 24-14 in the quarter while shooting just two for 11 from beyond the arc. Coming off the bench Dan Lybbert (Scottsdale, Arizona) knocked down both 3-pointers for TWU to keep the games close. Heading to the fourth quarter, Lethbridge held a 56-49 lead.
The Spartans closed the gap early in the fourth quarter, with a put-back from Platz making it a one-point game, with Lethbridge holding a 58-57 lead. From there, neither team took more than a three-point lead, with Platz hitting a wide open 3-pointer with 26 seconds to play to level the score at 70-70. A steal by Bourcier and a fastbreak bucket from Mutabazi put TWU ahead momentarily, but after Jack-Henry Fox-Grey was fouled behind the 3-point line, the Pronghorns pushed the game beyond 40 minutes when Fox-Grey made two free throws.
Mutabazi scored the first seven points of to put TWU up 79-74 and the home side never trailed the rest of the night.
Shae Gibb got Lethbridge within two points with a 3-pointer with 16 seconds to play, but TWU made three free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
QUOTABLE
Trevor Pridie – Head Coach
"It was a great team win. Defensively, we did a really good job and on a night when we shot 20 per cent from 3-piont range, it's great for us to still find a way to win the game. In years past, we would have struggled to find a way to win when we're not scoring. I thought Mason was fantastic defensively. Both him and David did a great job defensively, followed the scout well and did a great job on their key players. Connor had a monster game. It was nice to see him bounce back after coming off a tough one last weekend. I knew he'd bounce back and play like he did against Jeff (Rodehutskors), who's a really good player. I think Connor can really build on that. His decision-making was much better and his physicality was better. He played with a lot more force this weekend, which was huge. Dan Lybbert came in when we had nothing going offensively in the third quarter and hit two huge threes for us. We needed that in a big way.
"Now, we look to Saturday. Last weekend in Prince George, (B.C.) we got the Friday night win but we didn't show up on Saturday. So we're hoping we can come out tomorrow and execute the game plan and hopefully get the sweep."
NOTABLE
· TWU is 15-15 all-time against Lethbridge.
· Prior to losing nine straight against Lethbridge, it was the Spartans with the winning streak, as they had won seven in a row against the Pronghorns (Nov. 9, 2007 to Jan. 18, 2013).
· The last time Lethbridge was in Langley was nearly six years ago, when TWU dropped back-to-back games against the Pronghorns Dec. 2-3, 2016.
UP NEXT
TWU and Lethbridge play again Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre.
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 13 U SPORTS team championships and 32 Canada West team championships.
About Trinity Western University
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in CIS sports. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
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