KAMLOOPS, British Columbia– The Trinity Western Spartans controlled much of the game but had to hold off a late surge to defeat the Thompson Rivers WolfPack 87-78 Thursday evening at the Tournament Capital Centre in Kamloops, B.C. The win improves the Spartans to 5-7 in Canada West Conference play while the loss keeps the WolfPack winless at 6-7.
 
The Spartans led 24-16 at the end of the opening quarter, and 40-29 at the half. TWU led 63-60 at the end of the third quarter, with TRU tying the game at 71-71 with five minutes remaining.
 
Fifth-year guard Jerric Palma (Richmond, B.C.) with 25 points, fifth-year guard Josh Belvin (Long Beach, Calf.) with 18 points, and seven rebounds, fourth-year centre Connor Platz (Langley, B.C.) with a double-double of 15 points, and 11 rebounds, and third-year guard Marcus Shankar (Campbell River, B.C.) with 14 points, and four rebounds led the Spartans. While Cyrus Harrison with 12 points, and five rebounds, Asher Mayan with 11 points, and three rebounds, and Evan Smith with 11 points, and three rebounds led the WolfPack.

QUOTABLE
Trevor Pridie, TWU Head Coach
"It was areat road win for us. TRU is a good team and getting three wins against them this year is big for us. I'm really happy with how Connor is playing after coming back from injury. We had two really good performances from the fifth-year vets in Jerric and Juice. Juice hit some big shots down the stretch to close out the game and Jerric was great making big shots all night."
 
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 7 p.m. The game can be seen live on Canada West TV.
 
AS IT HAPPENED
The Spartans finished the opening quarter with a 24-17 lead over the WolfPack. The Spartans showed a strong performance from beyond the arc, hitting six of their 12 3-point attempts. Key contributions came from Palma, who scored multiple 3-pointers, and Platz, who added points both from free throws and in the paint. The Spartans also capitalized on turnovers, forcing seven from the WolfPack, while committing only three of their own. Despite being out-rebounded 12-9, the Spartans' efficient shooting and defensive pressure helped them finish the opening quarter with the lead.
 
In the second quarter, the Spartans outscored the WolfPack 16-12. TWU capitalized on their perimeter shooting, making four 3-pointers out of nine attempts, while the WolfPack managed only two of ten from beyond the arc. The Spartans also recorded three steals and two blocks, contributing to their defensive efforts. Despite committing four turnovers, the Spartans maintained a slight edge in rebounding with 13 total boards compared to the WolfPack's 10.
 
In the third quarter, the Spartans scored 23 points, while the WolfPack surged with 31 points. The Spartans made seven of 13 field goals, including three 3-pointers, and converted six of eight free throws. They also recorded two blocks and two steals but committed six personal fouls. TRU made 12 of 20 shots from the field, including four 3-pointers, and scored 16 points in the paint. They also had the edge in assists with eight compared to the Spartans' four. Despite the Spartans' efforts, the WolfPack's 11 bench points and seven second-chance points contributed to their strong quarter.
 
In the final 10 minutes, the Spartans outscored TRU 24-18, sealing their lead with strong plays in the paint. The Spartans shot nine-for-14 from the field and added six points from free throws, while also dominating the rebounds with ten total, eight of which were defensive. Despite committing six turnovers, Trinity Western managed to maintain its edge through effective bench scoring and fast breaks, totaling 14 points from the bench and six from fast breaks. The WolfPack closed the game and made it tight down the stretch, tying at 71-71, and 77-77. But TWU made their foul shots down the stretch to secure the nine-point win.
 
NOTABLE 

• The Spartans finished the night shooting 48.4 (30-62) percent from the field, 48.1 (13-27) percent from the three-point line, and 60.9 (14-23) percent from the foul line, while the WolfPack finished at 42 (29-69) percent, 31 (9-29) percent, and 52.4 (11-21) percent respectively.
• Both teams had 40 rebounds.
• TWU had 17 turnovers to TRU's 18. The WolfPack had an 11-10 edge in steals.
• Last week the Spartans lost twice to the Victoria Vikes in Victoria. Losing  75-63 and 85-76.
• Last week the WolfPack lost 81-61 to UBC and won 83-74 to Fraser Valley on the road.
• TWU is currently 27-14 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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