KAMLOOPS, British Columbia– The Trinity Western Spartans took the lead early and never looked back as they defeated the Thompson Rivers WolfPack 67-33 Thursday evening at the Tournament Capital Centre in Kamloops, B.C. The win improves the Spartans to 7-5 in Canada West Conference play while the loss keeps the WolfPack winless at 0-13.
 
The Spartans led 19-7 at the end of the opening quarter, and 39-21 at the half.
 
Fourth-year guard Shemaiah Abatayo (Vancouver, B.C.) with 17 points, six rebounds, and three assists, first-year guard Colette Van der Hoven (Maple Ridge, B.C.) with 12 points, six steals, four assists, and four rebounds, and third-year guard Cassidy Buchanan (Aldergrove, B.C.) with nine points, six assists, five rebounds, and four steals led the Spartans. Danijela Kovacevic with 12 points, and three rebounds, and Kate De La Mare with seven points, and eight rebounds led the WolfPack.
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans have a travel day tomorrow as they head north to Prince George, B.C. to take on the UNBC Timberwolves on Saturday, January 18 at 5 p.m. The game can be seen live on Canada West TV.
 
QUOTABLE
TWU head coach Cheryl Jean-Paul
"It was a great team effort today - nice to see everyone get on the score sheet. With this being a tough swing trip, it was really important for us to get the work done early in each quarter and we did that throughout the game. Shemaiah has been doing a great job of helping us maintain our leads this season and that's given everyone else opportunities to contribute. That's such an important piece for us moving forward into the rest of this season."
 
AS IT HAPPENED
The Spartans established control early against the WolfPack, closing the opening quarter with a 19-7 advantage. They capitalized on turnovers, scoring nine points off turnovers compared to zero by TRU. Trinity Western shot 9-for-17 from the field, with their scoring predominantly in the paint (12 points) and additional contributions from the bench (four points). The Spartans also recorded five assists and three steals, highlighting their effective ball movement and defensive pressure.
 
In the second quarter, Trinity Western outscored the WolfPack 20-14. The Spartans demonstrated efficiency from beyond the arc, hitting four out of six 3-point attempts, contributing to their six baskets on ten attempts overall. They capitalized on free throw opportunities as well, making four out of five, while also recording six assists and two steals. Despite turning the ball over five times, Trinity Western managed to maintain the lead throughout the quarter.
 
In the third quarter, the Spartans widened their lead against TRU, scoring 16 points compared to the WolfPack's five. The Spartans capitalized on turnovers, scoring seven points off Thompson Rivers' seven turnovers, while also achieving six bench points. Trinity Western had strong rebounding with 11 total rebounds, including five offensive, and converted six of nine free throws. The Spartans' defense was effective, recording three steals, while TRU struggled offensively, missing both free throw attempts and scoring only two points from the bench.
 
In the fourth quarter, Trinity Western outscored TRU 12-7, capitalizing on turnovers with six steals compared to the WolfPack's two. The Spartans shot five-for-14 from the field and two-for-10 from beyond the arc, while TRU managed three-for-15 overall and one-for-seven from three-point range. The Spartans also held the edge in assists with four and blocks with two, showcasing a balanced defensive effort.
 
NOTABLE 

• The Spartans finished the night shooting 45.5 (25-55) percent from the field, 31.6 (6-19) percent from the three-point line, and 68.8 (11-16) percent from the foul line, while the WolfPack finished at 25 (13-52) percent, 25(5-20) percent, and 28.6 (2-7) percent respectively.
• TWU had a 37-35 edge in rebounds.
• TWU had 15 turnovers to TRU's 25. The Spartans also had a 14-7 edge in steals.
• Last week the Spartans split with the Victoria Vikes in Victoria. Winning  68-60 and losing 71-63.
• Last week the WolfPack lost 79-35 to UBC, and 67-32 to Fraser Valley on the road.
• TWU is currently 28-13 lifetime against the WolfPack.

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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