MEN’S BASKETBALL
FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2012
TRINITY WESTERN (105) LETHBRIDGE (97)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPARTANS EARN WIN OVER PRONGHORNS

LANGLEY, British Columbia – The Trinity Western Spartans used a 33-point third quarter to leverage itself to a 105-97 win over the Lethbridge Pronghorns Friday at the Langley Events Centre.

The Spartans were led by Kyle Coston who had a career-high 35 points while Sean Peter had a career-high of his own with 26 points in what was Trinity Western’s largest offensive output of the season. Tristan Smith also had a productive night as he collected 15 points and nine assists.

For the Pronghorns it was an offensive effort by committee as six players hit double digits, led by Daryl Cooper and Julian Spear Chief-Morris who each had 16 points and Logan Reiter and Derek Waldner, who had 14 apiece.

The Spartans shot 49.4 per cent from the field while Lethbridge shot 42.6 per cent but it was the Pronghorns out-rebounding the Spartans 47-37.

The win improves the Spartans record to 3-6 while the loss drops the Pronghorns to 4-5.

“It was nice to get a win,” said Spartans coach Scott Allen. “Wins are reflective of what we’ve done in practice. It’s pretty exciting that the guys are rewarded with a win. It seems like it’s always difficult for us but that’s basketball. It’s frustrating that we let it get that close but I think we showed some character towards the end and fortunately we had a bit of cushion. So we’ll take it.

“I think our defence was the difference in that third quarter. We started making steals and getting easy fast-break points and then when one guy hits a shot everyone feels they can hit a shot and that’s what happened.”

The Spartans got off to a quick start in the opening quarter and, after Coston finished a three-point play with a free throw, Trinity Western found itself up 13-7.

The Pronghorns immediately responded however, going on a 12-3 run to take a 19-16 lead before Coston slowed their momentum by knocking down a 3-pointer to knot the game 19-19.

From there it was back and forth as neither team took more than a four-point lead in the quarter, with the Spartans finishing the frame up by just a two-point margin, 23-21.

Trinity Western’s Coston led all scorers with 14 points in the opening quarter while Lethbridge’s Spear Chief-Morris led the Pronghorns with six points.

The second quarter was eerily similar to the first as Trinity Western opened up another six-point lead, 29-23, after a Tristan Smith lay-up, before Lethbridge came back, getting to within one point at 36-35.

After that it was big shot from Coston that gave the home side a 41-37 lead but, like the course of play throughout the entire first half, it was Lethbridge responding as Reiter hit a 3-pointer to close the gap to 41-40.

With the Spartans possessing a 42-40 lead late in the quarter, Reiter went at it again from beyond the arc, hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Lethbridge its first lead since their first quarter 19-16 advantage.

Like the first frame it was Coston leading the Spartans charge as he added 10 points in the quarter for a total of 25 first half points.

Reiter led Lethbridge with seven points in the quarter.
 
The Pronghorns opened the third quarter with a quick 7-3 run to take a 50-46 lead but then Trinity Western got rolling.

Sparked by a Lucas Nugteren lay-in, the Spartans went on an 11-0 run, capped by a Sean Peter lay-in, that gave Trinity Western a 57-50 advantage and the game’s momentum.

With Coston continuing to roll, finishing the quarter with another eight points, Calvin Westbrook, who was shutout in the first half, collecting eight points of his own, and Sean Peter also adding eight points, Trinity Western started to pull away midway through the frame.

With 1:24 left in the quarter, Coston hit a long back-breaking 3-pointer that gave Trinity Western 72-61 lead and the Spartans maintained that 11-point advantage going into the fourth quarter, 75-64.

The Pronghorns Daryl Cooper had a team-high five points in the quarter but it wasn’t enough to slow a suddenly surging Spartans side.

In the fourth quarter, Trinity Western scored the first eight points to open a 19-point lead, 83-64.

But Lethbridge’s Morgan Duce single-handedly pulled the Pronghorns right back into the game with three straight 3-pointers to make it a 10-point match, 83-73.

After a Dominyc Coward jumper, the Pronghorns got to within eight points at 85-77 and then inside the final minute, the visitors got to within six points at 101-95.

But the Spartans were good on their late-game free throws and managed to escape with an eight-point win.

The Spartans are next in action Saturday when they host Calgary at 7:00 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre while Lethbridge will travel to Fraser Valley to play the Cascades at 7:00 p.m.

Game Notes – Lethbridge was 9 for 20 from 3-point range while TWU was 5 for 17…TWU has 12 steals to Lethbridge’s 6.

-TW-