Scheduled Game: @Manitoba*

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GAME RESULTS 1 2 T trinity men 38 35 73 Manitoba Bisons 43 35 78 « FINAL

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Game Recap

Men's Basketball (conference game)
Saturday, November 8, 2003
TWU Spartans (73) at the University of Manitoba Bisons (78)

Cold as a Manitoba...

Langley, British Columbia - The Trinity Western University men's basketball team had a season low in three-point percentage and a near low in field goal percentage as they fell 78-73 to the hometown University of Manitoba Bisons. The Spartans' 5-20 from behind the arc and 40% field goal percentage proved to be the difference as the 1-1 Bisons dropped the Spartans to 1-1 in conference play.

TWU trailed Manitoba by five at the half (43-38), but the deficit quickly became 16 points as the Bisons outscored the Spartans 14-3 over the first four minutes of the second half to take a 57-41 lead. But TWU can play some hard-nosed defense when they need to, and this proved to be one of those times.

The Spartans jacked up their intensity and shut down the Bisons for the next eight minutes, while going on a 20-3 run to take a 61-60 lead with 8:30 remaining. It was the Spartans' first lead since 9-8 at the 16:30 mark of the first half.

The two squads would battle back and forth, exchanging leads and ties, for the next six minutes. Then, with just over two minutes remaining and TWU leading 73-71, Manitoba's Ivan Saric took over. Saric scored five straight points to give the Bisons a 75-73 lead with 30 seconds remaining. Two missed threes forced the Spartans to foul with less than 30 seconds remaining. Manitoba's Ryan Dulder would hit the critical foul shots to give the Bisons a 77-73 lead, and then Jatinder Johal hit a final foul shot with a few seconds remaining to give the Bisons a five-point lead.

"We dug ourselves too big a hole in the second half and we just spent too much energy digging ourselves out of the hole to hold onto the lead down the stretch," said TWU head coach Stan Peters. "We're disappointed with the loss, but getting a split on the road is not an easy thing to do in Canada West."

Adam Friesen (23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) and Andy VanderMeulen (12 points on 6-7 shooting, 9 rebounds) led the Spartans. "That was the best game that Andy has played as a Spartan," said Peters. Taylor Cherris-Wilding led the Bisons with 20 points.

Next up for the Spartans is their regular season home-opener against the University of Calgary Dinos. Game time on Friday, November 14 is set for 8:00 pm at David E. Enarson Gymnasium.

Game Notes: Prior to tonight the Spartans had averaged 39% shooting from behind the arc, and had only been below 30% once....only once in their previous eight games had the Spartans, who average 45%, been below 42% from the field... TWU outrebounded Manitoba 33-23...The Spartans shot 87.5% from the foul line, which ties for second on the Spartans' all-time team foul shooting percentage, with the top spot being 90.9% (20-22) against Brandon on November 25, 2000...

-TW-

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