LANGLEY, British Columbia – The Trinity Western Spartans had a tough shooting night as TWU fell 107-78 to the visiting Grand Canyon Lopes Thursday night at the David E. Enarson Gym on the TWU campus in Langley B.C. The loss drops the Spartans to 0-3 in the summer series. The Spartans hit for 11 3-pointers, but were unable to match the high shooting percentage that the Lopes used to secure the 29 point win.
Tyus DeVries led the team with 23 points, converting 9 of 11 free throws and adding nine rebounds.
Jack Vandenberg contributed 15 points, sinking four 3-pointers and dishing out four assists.
Pearse Long added 14 points, shooting 50 percent from the field and collecting five rebounds. Keellaa Gatwech finished with nine points, including one 3-pointer, and recorded two rebounds.
Jaden Zimmerman led the Lopes with 24 points, shooting 11-for-19 from the field, and contributed six assists. Blake Barkley was efficient, scoring 21 points with a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc, while also grabbing seven rebounds. Tyler Behrend made a significant impact off the bench, securing 13 rebounds and adding 12 points. Micah Tucker recorded 13 points, five assists, and two steals. Omaha Biliew added 13 points and two blocks, further boosting the team's defensive presence.
UP NEXT
The Spartans will have a few days off before continuing their summer series when they host the Oregon Ducks on Sunday, August 9. Game time is set for 7 p.m. (PT) at the David E. Enarson Gym on the TWU campus in Langley, B.C, sand can be seen live on Canada West TV.
QUOTABLE
Trevor Pridie, TWU Head Coach
"I think every one of these games has been a learning experience for our guys, It's a great opportunity to play teams at this calibre."
"This was the first game in this Division I series where we were down big at halftime. Every other game had been close at the break, so it gave us a different challenge and a chance to see how we would respond. They made another run in the second half and stretched the lead to around 40, but I was really pleased that our guys didn't fold. They kept competing. Some of our younger guys came in, played really hard, moved the ball and executed well, and that was good to see."
"Overall, I was happy with our offence and our ball movement. We had about 12 turnovers on 70 shots and got to the free-throw line 25 times. I thought we created a lot of really good looks."
"They were very good defensively and gave us problems, and offensively they seemed to have an answer for every coverage we threw at them. You could tell they had watched a lot of film and came in very well prepared. They're a really well-coached, really good team, and I expect them to have a great season."
"I think our guys are starting to hit the wall a little bit with fatigue, so now it's about finishing this trip strong."
"Tyus has been so good throughout this series and had another big game tonight. Pierce plays incredibly hard and is doing so many good things. He's taken a big step from last year. He had a really good offseason and a strong mini-camp with us, and you can see that growth in these games. Jack has also been really good throughout the series. I thought all three of those guys were excellent tonight."
AS IT HAPPENED
Grand Canyon built an early lead with efficient shooting, converting five of eight 3-point attempts and tallying seven assists in the first quarter. TWU capitalized on free throws, making ten of 11, but struggled from the field, hitting only four of 16 shots. Despite forcing five turnovers and securing six points off turnovers, TWU trailed 30–20 at the break.
The Lopes continued their strong shooting to extend their lead over the Spartans in the second quarter, converting 11 of 15 field goal attempts, including two 3-pointers. TWU struggled with turnovers, committing five, which Grand Canyon turned into points, contributing to their 29–17 scoring advantage for the quarter. The Lopes also secured a strong presence on the boards, out-rebounding TWU 13–7. At the end of the first half, the GCU led 59–37.
Grand Canyon maintained its edge in the third quarter, outscoring the Spartans 27–25. The visitors capitalized on their fast-break opportunities, registering seven points and converting three 3-pointers. TWU, despite hitting four 3-pointers, were held back by a rebounding deficit, collecting only seven boards compared to the Lopes' 13. At the end of the third period, the Lopes held a 24-point lead, 86–62.
The Lopes outscored the Spartans 21–16 in the final period, leveraging a solid 7-for-7 performance from the free-throw line, along with 14 rebounds. TWU's defence managed three steals but struggled on the boards, collecting only five rebounds. Despite converting five field goals and forcing seven Grand Canyon turnovers, TWU was unable to close the gap as the Spartans dropped a 107–78 decision to the Lopes.
NOTABLE
- The Spartans finished the night shooting 34.3 percent (24-70) from the field, 28.9 percent (11-38) from the three-point line, and 82.6 percent (19-23) from the foul line, while GCU shot 57.6 percent (38-66), 46.2 percent (12-26), and 63.3 percent (19-30), respectively.
- GCU had a 52-28 edge in rebounds, 25-15 assists, while both teams had five steals.
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 and women's and men's disc golf. Since TWU entered 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, 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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