PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – Trinity Western opened their 2022-23 Canada West campaign with an 85-68 victory over UNBC on Friday at the Northern Sport Centre.
The Spartans (1-0) are well-known for their fast-paced offensive style, but it was their defense that earned them an 85-69 victory over the Timberwolves (0-1) in their home opener, holding the TWolves to 29 second-half points.
Six Spartans scored in double figures, as
Tre Fillmore (Amarillo, Texas),
Mason Bourcier (Kelowna, B.C.),
Vlad Mihaila (Surrey, B.C.),
Connor Platz (Langley, B.C.), David Mutabazi (Delta, B.C.), and Josh Belvin (Long Beach, California) all reached the mark. Bourcier also added 10 assists and seven rebounds in 39 minutes.
AS IT HAPPENED
In the first quarter, TWU got out to a fast start, using
Tre Fillmore's (Amarillo, Texas) hot hand to jump out to an early lead. The shooting guard went five-for-five in the quarter, as the Spartans stretched their lead to 13 in the opening frame. UNBC would settle down, leaning on third-year guard Micah Jessie to attack the rim, and the quarter ended 24-15 TWU.
The Timberwolves found their rhythm in the second quarter, with Fareed Shittu, Darren Hunter, and Jackson Netzel all making treys in the frame. UNBC captain Chris Ross had the unenviable task of trying to slow TWU's dynamic lead ballhandler Mason Bouricer (Kelwona, B.C.), and the North Vancouver product was doing just enough to take Bourcier off his game offensively. A thunderous Shittu slam was an exclamation mark at the end of the quarter, and the half ended 42-39 in favour of the Spartans.
TWU's defensive focus rehauled itself after halftime. The Timberwolves shooters went cold, going just 6-for-19 over the ten minutes, good for 31.6%, while the Spartans hit on 55.6% of their 18 attempts. UNBC point guard Darren Hunter did well to try to keep the TWolves in it with his drive-and-kicks earning the home team some good looks, but nothing would fall. The Spartans won the quarter 23-16, and stretched their advantage to 65-55.
Micah Jessie was ultra-assertive for the Timberwolves in the final quarter, as the American scorer commanded plenty of attention from the Spartan defenders. But the fourth quarter looked a lot like the third for UNBC; missed opportunities in the paint and from outside, as time became their enemy.
Eventually, the buzzer sounded, and the Spartans had completed the 85-68 win over the Timberwolves to open the Canada West season.
QUOTABLE
Trevor Pridie – TWU Head Coach
"Great team win. It's never easy to play a team on the road for their home opener, so I'm really happy how the guys battled on the defensive end. Being short-handed and missing a couple guys while still having 6 players score in double figures shows the depth we have. UNBC is a good team so we have to be prepared and hopefully get a sweep."
NOTABLE
- This is TWU's first season-opening victory since Nov. 1, 2013 (Calgary 87-80 W).
- The Spartans are 4-12 all-time against UNBC.
UP NEXT
The two teams will clash again on Saturday night at the Northern Sport Centre at 6 PM.
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.
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