CALGARY, Alberta – The Trinity Western Spartans had a tough go with the No. 5 Calgary Dinos Friday night as the Spartans were defeated 90-63 at the Jack Simpson Gym in Calgary, Alta. The loss drops the Spartans to 8-5, while the win moves Calgary to 12-3.

The Spartans trailed 42-32 at the half.
Fourth-year guard Jayden Gill (Abbotsford, B.C.) had a team-high 19 points to go with five steals to lead the way for TWU. Third-year guard Shemaiah Abatayo (Vancouver, B.C.) also had a nice night, finishing with 11 points on 5-10 shooting.

Myriam Kone led all players with her 24 points on a tidy 9-13 shooting – including 4-6 from three – to go with seven assists, five rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocks. Pollyanna Storie (14), Lilia Skumatova (13), Louise Rouse (12) and Mya Proctor (11) all also finished in double figures on the night for Calgary.
 
AS IT HAPPENED
Gracie Corneau opened the night with a layup for the Spartans, but Calgary answered right back with Kone's first three of the game and the Dinos never trailed again. Kone finished the opening frame with 12 points to set the tone early and help build a 26-14 lead for her squad.
 
After a free throw by Rouse midway through the second gave the Dinos a 40-22 edge, the Spartans started to chip away. Gill started what proved to be a 10-0 run with a triple and Corneau added three points of her own – all from the free-throw line – to cut the deficit to just 42-32 at the break.
 
TWU had its best shooting of the night come in the third, going 8-16 from the floor, but the Dinos hot shooting of their own removed any doubt about this one in closing out the win.
 
QUOTABLE
TWU Head Coach Cheryl Jean-Paul
"Calgary is one of the top teams in our conference for a reason - their ability to hit big shots in bunches and create off turnovers was on display tonight. We responded well in the second quarter and made a good push to climb back into the game but their offensive output in the third quarter was impressive. We're competing against a team that knows how to get to a conference final and what it takes to be at Nationals and so we will continue to learn from every game and every opponent this semester."
 
NOTABLE

• TWU finished the night shooting 39.7 percent (23/58) from the field, 28.6 percent (4/14) from the three-point line, and 81.3 percent (13/16) from the foul line. Calgary finished an impressive 55.7 percent (34/61), 50 percent (14/28), and 80 percent (8/10) respectively.
• TWU had a 31-30 edge in rebounding.
• The Dinos had 24 points off of turnovers, while the Spartans had 11.
• Last week Trinity Western was swept by the Victoria Vikes, losing 78-74, and 64-53 at home in Langley, B.C.
• Last week Calgary dominated the Thompson Rivers WolfPack, winning 129-30 on Friday, and 110-31 on Saturday in Calgary, Alta.
• The Spartans are 2-26 lifetime against the Dinos.
• TWU last defeated the Dinos, 88-76, on January 12, 2018, in Langley, B.C.

 
UP NEXT
The Spartans and Dinos will finish the two-game series tomorrow night at 6 p.m. the Jack Simpson Gym in Calgary, Alta. The game can be seen live on Canadawest.TV.
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 14 U SPORTS team championships and 34 Canada West team championships.
 
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