LANGLEY, B.C. – An outstanding double-double performance of 24 points and 14 rebounds from
Nicole Fransson (Edmonton) led Trinity Western to a 91-72 lead against UBC Okanagan at the Langley Events Centre on Friday.
The Spartans (11-4) also got outstanding scoring output from
Jayden Gill (Abbotsford, B.C.),
Shemaiah Abatayo (Vancouver), and
Jolene Vlieg (Leduc, Alta.), who combined for 57 of TWU's 91 total points. For the Heat (7-8), it was Jaeli Ibbetson leading the way with 17 points and eight rebounds in the loss.
Abatayo, who scored 19 points in the victory, earned a career-high in points scored in the victory. Abatayo bested her previous best of 11, which was set on Jan. 7, 2023 against MacEwan.
AS IT HAPPENED
The Spartans jumped to a 20-16 lead through the first quarter. Fransson and Abatayo led the Spartans with six. Points each while UBCO's Rachel Hare knocked down seven points to lead the frame. Abatayo hit a half-court attempt at the quarter's end to put the Spartans up by four.
11 second-quarter points from
Jayden Gill led TWU to a 46-43 lead at the end of the half. Both teams shot incredibly well from 3-point range with the Spartans going 4-8, and the Heat going 6-13 from deep.
TWU held on to their lead in the third quarter, ending the frame at 64-60 heading into the fourth.
The Spartans exploded in the fourth quarter, holding UBCO to only 12 points compared to their 27 to take a 91-72 victory.
QUOTABLE
TWU Head Coach Cheryl Jean-Paul
"I really liked the finish of this game, and that was the statement we wanted to make with our sense of urgency on defence – that drives what we want to do on offence. We had some great movement by our scorers, allowing us to knock down some good shots. The style of play that we wanted to see was reflected on both ends of the court in the second half, but I think we have some things to learn from in the first. I look forward to correcting those heading into tomorrow's game.
"We had great games from multiple players, but it wasn't just from our scorers. I thought we had some key contributions from some of our younger players who did the little things. It's great to see the team value every shift, every defensive rotation, and every shot. If the team keeps seeing that value, then good things will continue to happen.
NOTABLE
• The Spartans are 19-4 all-time against UBCO, winning eight of their last 10 in the matchup.
• Friday was TWU's third most points scored in a single game all-time (91) in a regular season match. The record is currently standing at 96 points, which was done against the Heat on Jan. 29, 2022.
UP NEXT
The Spartans will stay at home for a rematch with UBCO on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. PT. TWU will be recognizing their graduating senior athletes after the match.
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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