PRINCE GEORGE, British Columbia– The Trinity Western Spartans made a weekend sweep of their road trip with a 75-57 victory over the UNBC Timberwolves Saturday night at the Charles Jago Northern Sports Centre in Prince George, B.C. The win moves the Spartans to 6-7, while the loss drops the Timberwolves to 1-11.
 
The Spartans led 19-12 at the end of the first quarter, and 40-22 at halftime on their way to the 18 point win.
 
Fifth-year Josh Belvin (Long Beach, Calf.) with 21 points, and four steals, fifth-year guard Jerric Palma (Richmond, B.C.) with 16 points, and four steals, and fourth-year centre Connor Platz (Langley, B.C.) with nine points, and two blocks led the Spartans. Marcus Wilson with 13 points, Chris Ainsley with 11 points, and Evgeny Baukin with 10 points, and 14 rebounds led the Timberwolves.
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans will return home to host the UBC Okanagan Heat on Thursday, January 23. Game time at the Langley Events Centre is set for 8 p.m. (PT) and can be seen live on Canada West TV.
 
QUOTABLE
TWU head coach Cheryl Trevor Pridie.
"Juice showed again the leader that he's developed into this season. That's been one of the highlights of our season. Jerric pushed the ball and had a really nice game. He's one of the steals leaders in Canada, which is a really underrated part of his game. Tyler (Sipma) had a very good game off the bench for us and brought great energy. Looking forward to getting back to the LEC for a home stretch."
 
AS IT HAPPENED
Trinity Western led the first quarter against the Timberwolves with a score of 19-12. The Spartans scored 12 points in the paint and capitalized on turnovers with six points, leading to a fast-paced offense that included six fast-break points. The Spartans displayed strong defensive play, capturing 14 rebounds compared to UNBC's 11, and forcing five turnovers while collecting four steals.
 
In the second quarter, Trinity Western outscored the Timberwolves 21-10, extending their lead with strong defensive play and effective fast breaks. The Spartans forced eight turnovers from the Timberwolves while making four steals and limiting their opponent to zero fast-break points. TWU capitalized on turnovers with 11 points and added 13 fast-break points. Jerric Palma led the Spartans' charge with multiple successful layups and a 3-pointer, contributing significantly to their scoring run. UNBC struggled from the field, hitting only three of 11 shots, and relied on four free throws for additional points to give TWU a 40-22 halftime lead.
 
In an evenly matched third quarter, Trinity Western and UNBC both scored 23 points. The Spartans showcased a balanced attack, with notable contributions from the bench, scoring 15 points. Despite committing six personal fouls and four turnovers, the Spartans' defense was active with four steals and two blocks, while they also outscored the Timberwolves in points in the paint with eight. The Timberwolves hit five 3-pointers and had a slight edge in rebounds with a total of 10.
 
In the fourth quarter, the Spartans and Timberwolves both scored twelve points, thus maintaining the Spartans' lead. The Spartans showed efficiency from the field, shooting four-for-eleven with two 3-pointers while adding two steals and one block. Their bench contributed nine points, and they controlled the defensive rebounds with nine. Despite five turnovers, the Spartans' defense kept the Timberwolves from gaining ground, as UNBC shot five-for-seventeen and also committed three turnovers.
 
NOTABLE 

• The Spartans finished the night shooting 43.1 (31-72) percent from the field, 36.4 (8-22) percent from the three-point line, and 50 (5-10) percent from the foul line, while the Timberwolves finished at 31.7 (20-63) percent, 28.1 (9-32) percent, and 80 (8-10) percent respectively.
• The Spartans outrebounded the Timberwolves 45-41.
• TWU had 13 turnovers to UNBC's 20. The Spartans had a 14-8 edge in steals.
• The Spartans defeated the TRU WolfPack 87-78 Thursday night in Kamloops, BC
• TWU is currently 7-13 lifetime against the Timberwolves, and have won their last three games against UNBC.

 
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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