Scheduled Game: SIMON FRASER*

86

GAME RESULTS 1 2 T SFU Clan 41 45 86 « FINAL TWU Spartans 23 48 71

71

Game Recap

Men's Basketball (Conference game)
Saturday, November 29, 2003
TWU Spartans (71) vs. the SFU Clan (86)

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Langley, British Columbia - Two nights, two very different games. That was the story tonight for the Trinity Western Spartan men's basketball team, losing the second game of their two-night match-up with Pacific Division rival SFU by almost the identical score by which they won the previous night, 86-71. Tonight's game was almost the mirror image of last night's contest-except TWU was on the losing end this time and SFU was the team that couldn't miss.

The visiting Clan jumped out to an early lead, scoring the first four points before Dan Young put TWU on the board two minutes into the half. The Spartans could not seem to get anything to fall and the fired up SFU players weren't about to cut them any breaks, hitting 48.5% from the field while building up an 18-point lead to go into the halftime break up 41-23.

The Spartan men were a different team in the second half, hitting 53.8% from the field (including 60% from three-point land), and sparking a 16-4 run to cut the SFU lead to 10, 67-57, with less than eight minutes remaining. Having been ahead by as much as 26, SFU wasn't going to allow them back into the game that easily, overcoming their dry spell with a flurry of free throws and three-pointers to extend their lead once more and put the game out of reach.

The second half was one riddled with fouls and free throws, disrupting any kind of flow the game might have had as a result of the physical play, especially in the paint. TWU and SFU combined for 35 free throws, compared to 13 in the first half, making 27 of them.

While tonight's crowd of almost 600 would not be silenced, desperately trying to cheer some life into their team's efforts and keep their bragging rights in this rivalry, the 18-point halftime lead proved to be too much of a hole to climb out of for the Spartans.

"Our lack of urgency is what killed us tonight," stated Coach Stan Peters. "We played better in the second half, but it was 20 minutes of Spartan basketball in a 40 minute game."

SFU's Pasha Bains once again led his team with 27 points, while TWU's Logan Kitteringham battled hard in the paint all night long for his team-leading 16 points and 10 boards.

This weekend marked the final Canada West competition for the fall half of the season, but games start up again in January with both basketball teams opening the 2004 season on the road at UBC. Games are Friday, January 9 and Saturday, January 10 at 6:00pm and 8:00pm.

Game Notes: stat of the game: SFU shot 52.6% from the field (35% from 3pt) compared to TWU's 36.7% (44.4% from 3pt)...TWU more than doubled their first half output in the second half, scoring 48 points...SFU's Chad Clifford had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists...Dan Young posted 14 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists...TWU out-rebounded SFU 39-35...

-TW-

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