VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The Trinity Western Spartans saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end with an 85-55 loss to the UBC Thunderbirds Friday night at the War Memorial Gym in Vancouver, B.C. The loss drops the first-place Spartans to 10-3, while the win improves the Thunderbirds to 7-4 in Canada West play.
 
The Thunderbirds took control of the game early and used an 11-0 run to start the game to take a 22-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. UBC expanded its lead to 20 points to lead 42-22 at the end of the opening half. The Spartans were unable to gain any ground in the third quarter as the Thunderbirds expanded their lead to 62-32 after 30 minutes of play.
 
Fourth-year forward Myrlaine Shelvey (Langley, B.C.) with 13 points and five rebounds, second-year guard Colette Van der Hoven (Maple Ridge, B.C.) with eight points and three rebounds, and Moriah Jansen with eight points, four assists, and four steals led the Spartans. Jaeli Ibbetson with 16 points and nine rebounds, and Stella La Grange with 14 points and two steals, led the Thunderbirds.
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans and Thunderbirds will finish off the two-match series tomorrow afternoon at War Memorial Gym in Vancouver, B.C. Game time is set for 4 p.m. (PT) and can be seen live on Canada West TV.
 
NOTABLE

• The Spartans finished the night shooting 34.4 percent (21-61) from the field, 12.5 percent (2-16) from the three-point line, and 68.8 percent (11-16) from the foul line, while UBC shot 47.1 percent (32-68),  40 percent (6-15) and 71.4 percent (15-21) respectively.
• UBC had a 50-31 edge in rebounds, 15-12 in steals, and 19-12 in assists.
• The Spartans finished with 21 turnovers, while the Thunderbirds finished with 22 turnovers.
• The Spartans are currently 7-59 lifetime against the UBC Thunderbirds.
• Earlier this year, TWU lost 62-50 to UBC on October 25 at the Langley Events Centre.
• TWU was on an eight-game winning streak. The steak tied the Spartan record set in the 2023-24 season. UBC broke the Spartans' streak in the opening games of the second semester.
• In their final games before the Christmas break, TWU defeated the Lethbridge Pronghorns 87-66 and 70-57 at home in Langley, B.C.
• In their final first-semester games, the UBC Thunderbirds split with the UBC Okanagan Heat, losing 68-67 and winning 64-50 in Kelowna, B.C.

 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 11 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as in the NAIA in track and field and cross country and 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 33 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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