REGINA – Trinity Western's season came to an end Saturday night, as the Spartans lost 80-72 against No. 4-ranked Regina in the Canada West Quarter-Final at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health and Sport. 

Graduating senior Jolene Vlieg (Edmonton) led the Spartans with 20 points and seven rebounds in her final game as a Spartan, while Jayden Gill (Abbotsford, B.C.) had 17 points, three steals and three assists. Hailey Van Roekel (Langley, B.C.) also hit double-digits in points, with 14 and five boards. 

Regina's Jade Belmore led the home side with 26 poitns and eight rebounds. Julie Vydrova and Dayna Pearce added 12 points apiece. 

TWU finishes a strong season with a 13-9 overall record, including the regular season and playoffs. 

AS IT HAPPENED
The Spartans got off to a hot start in the first quarter, taking a 7-2 lead and forcing the Cougars to take an early timeout. However, Regina swung back and eventually took a 24-18 lead into the second quarter. 

In a similar fashion to the first quarter, it was TWU getting off to a good start in the second quarter, evening the score 24-24 inside the first minute. From there the teams went back and forth until halftime, with the Spartans taking a 45-44 lead into the break. 

The Cougars got out to a quick start in the third quarter, taking a 10-point lead, at 61-51. TWU closed the gap back to three points with a 7-0 run, but the home side pushed back down the stretch and took a 70-60 lead into the final frame.

In the fourth quarter, Spartans closed the gap to six points after an in-tight lay-up from Vlieg made it 78-72 with 1:56 to play. However, with TWU missing four 3-pointers in the final two minutes, the visitors were unable to close the gap in what ultimately became an eight-point loss. A defensive battle in the final quarter saw TWU outscore the Cougars 12-10 over the final 10 minutes.

QUOTABLE
Cheryl Jean-Paul - TWU Head Coach
"It was a tough finish to a really good game today. I thought we played with a lot of composure and character, especially in the first half. The hard work we have put into our team this season made it possible for us to be in today's game until the end. Unfortunately, we ran out of gas at the end and weren't able to knock down some of the shots we had been making. However, we are leaving the game proud of what we've been able to achieve and the statement we made to ourselves about who we wanted to be this season. We talked about running our race and finishing strong and both today and yesterday our seniors, Jolene and Nicole [Fransson, Edmonton], did that. We have so many pieces that were so critical in our effort this year but it starts with them."

NOTABLE
•    Prior to Saturday, TWU hadn't played Regina in a regular season or playoff game since Nov. 3, 2018, when TWU completed a weekend sweep of the Cougars.
•    The last time the Spartans advance to the Canada West semifinals was in 2017-18.
•    The Spartans advanced to the Canada West quarter-finals with an 83-66 win over Victoria Friday night in the play-in game.

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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