LANGLEY, B.C. – Trinity Western outscored Thompson Rivers by 30 points in the first half for the second time in as many nights, but this time the Spartans maintained the large gap rest of the way, rolling to a 62-32 win over Thompson Rivers Saturday at the Langley Events Centre. 

It was an almost identical first half to Friday's contest, when TWU held a 43-13 lead at the break, but, unlike Friday when the WolfPack closed the gap to single digits in the second half, Saturday's contest saw the Spartans maintain a large lead throughout to complete the weekend sweep. 

Winners of three of their last four games, TWU is now 3-4 in Canada West. TRU is 0-7.

The Spartans kept their 30-point advantage through three quarters, leading 51-21 heading to the final frame and then held the edge the rest of the night. 

TWU had four players hit double-digits in points, with Shemaiah Abatayo collecting a game-high 16 points and five rebounds to lead the way. Sydney Bradshaw had 11 points while Cassidy Buchanan and Blessing Ibekwe had 10 points each. Ibekwe also added five boards. 

The Spartans bench played a major role in the win, collecting 26 points.  

TWU shot 48 per cent (24-50) from the field, while TRU shot 22.4 per cent (11-49). 

The Spartans had a 23-3 advantage in points off turnovers. 

QUOTABLE
Cheryl Jean-Paul, TWU Head Coach
"It definitely was more of what we were looking for in terms of being able to maintain a certain level. I think we're always going to be able to pick some things apart – we struggled to score and had a few shot clock violations towards the end – but it was really important for us to see the things we did in the first half and then replicate those things in the second half. It's not so much the scoring looks, but rather the attitude and the posture of who we are defensively and as teammates. I thought everyone did a great job of maintaining energy and focus. All those other little basketball details we can fix in practice, but our attitude is a controllable that we want to see no matter what the score is. 

"One of the highlights for me today is that our bench scored 26 points and that's very big for us going into a tough weekend against UFV and into the  second semester, where we know if teams have made adjustments for the first group that comes onto the floor, the second group is ready to come on and contribute – and they definitely did that today." 

UP NEXT 
TWU will host UFV Nov. 29 at the Spartans on-campus David E. Enarson Gym. Tip-off is at 6 p.m.

NOTABLE
•    The Spartans 27-13 all-time against TRU. 
•    TWU has won nine straight against the WolfPack. 
•    The Spartans beat the WolfPack 57-46 Friday night. 

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 and women's and men's disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 14 U SPORTS team championships and 34 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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