EDMONTON, Alberta - Fifth-year guard
Cassidy Buchanan (Aldergrove, B.C.) scored 18 points, but the No. 8 Trinity Western Spartans suffered their first Canada West loss of the season, falling 88-58 to the No. 2 Alberta Pandas Friday night at the Saville Community Sports Centre.
Alberta shot 51.5 percent from the field and converted 29 TWU turnovers into 29 points as the Pandas improved to 3-0 in conference play and 9-0 overall. The Spartans fell to 3-1 in Canada West and 6-4 overall, including exhibition games.
Buchanan made three of her six three-point attempts and added four steals and three assists. First-year guard
Kiki Tupas-Singh (Victoria) contributed 10 points off the bench, shooting 4-for-8 from the field and making both of her three-point attempts. Third-year forward
Joy Mofolasayo (Edmonton) finished with six points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in her hometown. Eight of her rebounds came on the offensive glass. Second-year forward
Moriah Jansen (Spallumcheen, B.C.) added eight points, seven rebounds and a team-high six assists, while fifth-year guard
Myrlaine Shelvey (Langley, B.C.) scored nine points.
Second-year forward Mishynn Miller (Lethbridge, Alta.) led Alberta with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Fifth-year guard Kiah Easton-Ihediohanma (Camrose, Alta.) added 13 points, while fifth-year guard Annacy Palmer (Edmonton) and third-year guard McKinley Penninga (Red Deer, Alta.) each scored 12. Penninga went 5-for-5 from the field.
UP NEXT
The Spartans and Pandas meet again Saturday, November 14, at 5 p.m. (MT), at the Saville Community Sports Centre. The game will be available live on Canada West TV.
QUOTABLE
Cheryl Jean-Paul, TWU Head Coach
"Tonight was a tough one but a valuable game to experience. We went back to some tendencies that we worked really hard to let go of earlier in the season, so we need to reflect on how much we hurt ourselves today. Alberta is a good team that can pick apart your weaknesses and we really didn't push back until the 3rd quarter. It was loud in the gym and we already struggle with some communication breakdowns so if felt disjointed and disconnected at times. But we know that standing back up after getting knocked down is a valuable skill to learn and if we can demonstrate that going into tomorrow's game then we will have gained something of value that will make us that much better moving forward.
"Two bright spots were the offensive play of
Kiki Tupas-Singh and the outstanding rebounding efforts by
Joy Mofolasayo - if all that we gain this weekend is that added depth to our roster, then we are getting something good out of a tough opponent.
AS IT HAPPENED
Buchanan opened the scoring with a layup, but Alberta took a 25-17 lead after the first quarter. Tupas-Singh scored eight points in the opening frame, making all three of her field-goal attempts, including two three-pointers. Alberta scored 16 points off nine TWU turnovers in the quarter.
The Pandas extended their lead with a 26-18 second quarter to take a 51-35 halftime lead. Alberta made nine of 14 shots in the period. Jansen and Mofolasayo each scored six points for TWU, with Mofolasayo collecting eight rebounds, including seven offensive boards, in the quarter.
TWU held Alberta to 13 points in the third quarter but managed only eight of its own on 3-for-15 shooting. Buchanan scored six of those points as the Spartans trailed 64-43 entering the fourth.
Alberta outscored TWU 24-15 in the final quarter to complete the victory. The Spartans made three of four three-point attempts in the period, but the Pandas collected six offensive rebounds and made 10 field goals to close out their conference home opener.
NOTABLE
- TWU shot 35.2 per cent from the field (25-71), 35.0 per cent from three-point range (7-20) and 33.3 per cent from the free-throw line (1-3). Alberta shot 51.5 per cent (34-66), 23.1 per cent from beyond the arc (3-13) and 73.9 per cent at the line (17-23).
- Alberta led 43-37 in rebounds, 20-14 in assists and 15-8 in steals. TWU held a 19-15 advantage in offensive rebounds, while the Pandas led 8-6 in blocks.
- TWU is now 5-34 overall and 3-27 in Canada West conference play against Alberta. The Pandas have won four consecutive meetings. The Spartans last defeated Alberta 66-63 in Langley on January 14, 2023.
- The Spartans entered the weekend ranked No. 8 in the November 9 U SPORTS Top 10, the highest ranking in program history. Alberta was ranked No. 2.
- The Pandas outscored the Spartans 58-30 in the paint, 29-8 off turnovers and 34-16 in bench points. Alberta committed 18 turnovers.
- TWU opened conference play with wins over UBC, Victoria and Fraser Valley before Friday's loss. Alberta remained unbeaten after sweeping Brandon in its opening weekend.
ABOUT SPARTAN ATHLETICS
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in nine sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball and hockey, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes in NAIA within the Cascade Collegiate Conference in men's and women's track and field and cross country, as well 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 15 U SPORTS team championships, 35 Canada West team championships and one Cascade Collegiate Conference championship.
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 CIS 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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