VICTORIA, British Columbia– The Trinity Western Spartans saw their quest for a weekend sweep full just short as the Spartans, who trailed by two points, 65-63, with a minute remaining, fell 71-63 to the Victoria Vikes Saturday evening in Victoria, B.C. The loss drops the Spartans to 6-5, while the win improves the Vikes to 5-5.
 
The Spartans trailed 40-30 at halftime and 55-43 after three quarters.
 
Fourth-year guard Shemaiah Abatayo (Vancouver, B.C.) was outstanding with 23 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists to lead the Spartans. Second-year forward Savannah Vander Kooi (Chilliwack, B.C.) also had a strong game for the Spartans finishing with 13 points, and seven rebounds. Tana Pankratz and Natalie Allison each had 18 points to lead the Vikes.
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans will stay on the road next week for a tough road split between the Thompson Rivers WolfPack and the UNBC Timberwolves. TWU will be in Kamloops, B.C. against the WolfPack for a 5:30 p.m. game on Thursday, January 16, and then take on the Timberwolves in Prince George, B.C. on Saturday, January 18 at 5 p.m. Both games can be seen live on Canada West TV.
 
QUOTABLE
TWU head coach Cheryl Jean-Paul
"Tough game tonight - we really put ourselves in a deficit early and although we followed that with 3 competitive quarters, the damage was already done. This is a great opportunity for us to understand the importance of early pushes, even when it's a second-night battle. We knew Vic was going to play with a sense of urgency and it took us too long to respond to that. But we'll use this to keep getting better and keep learning what it takes to win 2 tough games in a weekend as we move into the next."
 
AS IT HAPPENED
Victoria established an early lead with Karis de Paiva scoring a 3-pointer just after the game began. Victoria's accurate shooting was highlighted by Natalie Allison's 3-pointer at 2:35, extending their lead to 17-8. Despite a late layup from Abatayo for the Spartans, the Vikes concluded the quarter with a strong 23-10 advantage, driven by consistent defensive rebounds and efficient scoring from multiple players.
 
In the second quarter, the Spartans outscored the Vikes 20-17. Early in the quarter, Jazmin Avila scored a layup at the 9:35 mark, followed by a defensive rebound after Victoria's missed jumper. Victoria's Abigail Becker responded with a successful layup, pushing their lead to 25-12. Trinity Western's Abatayo contributed with a layup at 3:07, narrowing the gap to 34-18. Natalie Allison from Victoria hit a 3-pointer, extending their lead to 30-14, but the Spartans closed the quarter with a late surge, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Abatayo with 30 seconds remaining, bringing the score to 40-30 at the buzzer.
 
The third quarter saw the Vikes maintain their lead over the Spartans, ending with a score of 55-43. The Spartans opened the quarter with a jumper by Vander Kooi, assisted by Shemaiah Abatayo, narrowing the score to 40-32. Meanwhile, the Vikes capitalized on offensive rebounds, with Mimi Sigue collecting several early in the quarter. Colette Van der Hoven was active for the Spartans, contributing with both free throws and a 3-pointer to keep the visitors within reach. However, Victoria's Natalie Allison responded with a critical 3-pointer at the 5:00 mark, extending their lead to 49-39, and Tana Pankratz added free throws to close the quarter.
 
In the fourth quarter, TWU outscored Victoria 20-16, with significant contributions from Savannah Vander Kooi and Shemaiah Abatayo. At the 9:00 mark, Vander Kooi hit a 3-pointer to narrow the gap to 46-57, supported by an assist from Abatayo. Later, at 4:30, Abatayo's layup brought the Spartans closer with a score of 62-65, followed by a successful free throw. Despite a push by the Spartans, the Vikes maintained their lead, with key 3-pointers from Natalie Allison and Karis de Paiva in the final moments, sealing their victory at 71-63.
 
NOTABLE 

• The Spartans finished the night shooting 39.4 (26-66) percent from the field, 34.8 (8-23) percent from the three-point line, and 75 (3-4) percent from the foul line, while the Vikes finished at 36.6 (26-71) percent, 45.5 (9-12) percent, and 75 (9-12) percent respectively.
• Victoria had a 46-41 edge in rebounds.
• TWU had 14 turnovers to Victoria's nine. The Vikes also had a 6-4 edge in steals.
• The loss snaps the Spartans' four-game winning streak.
• TWU is now 20-49 lifetime against Victoria

 
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.
 
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 U 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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