LANGLEY, British Columbia – Fifth-year guard
Tyus DeVries (Chilliwack, B.C.) and fifth-year guard
Marcus Shankar (Campbell River, B.C.) scored 21 points apiece as the Trinity Western Spartans defeated the No. 1 Victoria Vikes 84-73 Saturday evening at the Langley Events Centre. TWU outscored Victoria 28-17 in the fourth quarter to earn its first win over the Vikes since January 13, 2024, and move to 1-1 in Canada West play. Victoria also sits at 1-1.
DeVries added nine rebounds and seven assists, shooting 8-for-15 from the field and 4-for-6 from three-point range. Shankar finished 9-for-15 from the floor with six rebounds and three assists.
Fourth-year guard
Jack Vandenberg (Vancouver, B.C.) contributed 15 points and five assists, while fourth-year guard
Pearse Long (Temecula, Calif.) added 12 points and seven rebounds. Third-year forward
Caleb Gremaud (Kamloops, B.C.) collected six points, seven rebounds and four steals.
Shadynn Smid led Victoria with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Renoldo Robinson scored 14 points, while Cole Bekkering finished with eight points, six rebounds and seven assists.
QUOTABLE
Trevor Pridie, TWU Head Coach
"It's a big night for the program and the team. This has been a long time in the making, and these guys have worked really hard. To put together an opening weekend like this is really neat. Playing the Division I teams this summer showed us we could compete at a high level. Seeing it come together shows what we can accomplish here. Anytime you beat the number one team in the country, it's a pretty neat moment for the program and the team."
"
Tyus DeVries is playing at an incredibly high level. What an opening weekend for him.
Marcus Shankar had an incredible opening weekend as well. His maturity, his shot-making, his defence, he was doing everything right. Every year, he's gotten better, so it's neat to see him take another jump. Jack had another solid game. He's the number one person on opponents' scouting reports, and they're really keying on him. He's such a threat, and he's playing at a really high level. He's taking care of the ball and still making plays. I'm really happy with his play. Caleb is taking a huge step for us this year. I think he's the best defensive player in the country. He can guard anybody and protect the rim. He's an incredible defensive player, and his versatility allows us to be a unique team."
UP NEXT
The Spartans host the Fraser Valley Cascades on Thursday, November 5, at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. (PT), with the game available live on CanadaWest.tv.
AS IT HAPPENED
Victoria led 8-4 midway through the opening quarter before TWU answered with an 11-2 run. DeVries scored seven points during the surge, including a three-pointer that gave the Spartans an 11-8 lead. He finished the quarter with 10 points. Vandenberg added a three-pointer, and fourth-year guard/forward
Keellaa Gatwech (Fort McMurray, Alta.) completed a three-point play with 24 seconds remaining to give TWU a 26-18 lead after one.
The Vikes opened the second quarter with 13 unanswered points, including back-to-back three-pointers from Smid, to take a 31-26 lead. Vandenberg halted the run with a four-point play, sinking a three-pointer with 6:09 remaining and adding the free throw to pull TWU within one. After Victoria went ahead 33-30, Shankar scored and second-year guard
Logan Stewart (Langley, B.C.) followed with a dunk to put TWU back in front. Long hit a three-pointer to extend the lead to 37-33. With the Spartans ahead 39-37 late in the half, Vandenberg connected from beyond the arc, Shankar added a free throw and Long drained a deep three-pointer with one second remaining. The 7-0 finish sent TWU into halftime leading 46-37.
DeVries opened the third quarter with a three-pointer and Shankar added a layup to stretch TWU's lead to 51-37. Victoria responded with 10 straight points before Gatwech scored and Vandenberg made three free throws to give the Spartans a 56-47 advantage. The Vikes then scored the final nine points of the quarter, with Smid's layup with three seconds left tying the game 56-56.
Smid opened the fourth quarter with a three-point play, but DeVries answered with one of his own. After the teams traded baskets, Victoria led 62-61 before Long made three free throws with 7:18 remaining. Gremaud and Shankar added baskets to put TWU ahead 68-62. Victoria pulled even at 68-68 with 5:10 to play before DeVries put TWU ahead for good with a jumper. Long and DeVries then hit consecutive three-pointers, both assisted by Vandenberg, to extend the lead to 76-68 with 2:41 remaining. Shankar added two late layups, and the Spartans closed out the victory at the foul line.
TWU shot 60 per cent (9-15) from the field in the fourth quarter while holding Victoria to 26.7 per cent (4-15). Shankar scored 10 points in the final frame, with DeVries adding eight.
NOTABLE
- The Spartans shot 43.1 per cent (28-65) from the field, 33.3 per cent (10-30) from three-point range and 78.3 per cent (18-23) at the foul line. Victoria finished at 39.1 per cent (25-64), 29 per cent (9-31) and 63.6 per cent (14-22), respectively.
- TWU is now 22-55 all-time against Victoria, including a 17-51 record in Canada West regular season meetings.
- The victory ended Victoria's seven-game winning streak in the series. TWU's previous win was a 92-85 overtime victory in Langley on January 13, 2024.
- With the Spartans women winning 72-56 earlier Saturday, TWU's men and women defeated Victoria on the same night for the first time since November 21, 2009. On that night in Langley, the men won 83-71 and the women won 62-58.
- TWU had an 11-6 advantage in steals, while Victoria held a 42-39 edge in rebounds.
- DeVries totalled 50 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in the season-opening games against UBC and Victoria, averaging 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. He shot 47.6 percent (20-42) from the field and 46.2 percent (6-13) from three-point range. His 29 points at UBC Thursday established a TWU career high, surpassing his previous best of 21. Saturday's seven assists bettered his previous TWU high of six, set at UBC Okanagan on January 31, 2026.
- Vandenberg's three three-pointers brought his career Canada West regular season total with TWU to 105, moving him past Justin Bakuteka (102) into seventh in program history, one behind David Martens (106). Including postseason games, Vandenberg has 117 three-pointers, moving past Martens (116) into sixth in TWU history.
- The teams meet again February 12 and 13 in 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 and field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes independently in men's rugby and women's and men's disc golf. Since joining U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 15 U SPORTS team championships and 35 Canada West team championships.
About Trinity Western University
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning and holds three Canada Research Chairs. Through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education, TWU offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate and adult degree-completion programs that equip leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
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