Scheduled Game: Georgia

75

GAME RESULTS 1 2 3 4 T Georgia Bulldogs 17 32 11 15 75 « FINAL TWU Spartans 23 26 11 3 63

63

Game Recap

Men's Basketball (pre-season NCAA)
Friday, October 29, 04
TWU Spartans (63) vs. the University of Georgia Bulldogs (75) - double OT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Double OT at TWU...

Langley, British Columbia - Friday night's men's basketball game between Trinity Western University and the University of Georgia (NCAA Div I) took 35 minutes to find its identity. But once it did, the Spartan Faithful were on the edge of their seat watching the Spartans battle the Bulldogs through double overtime before falling 75-63.

"We played ten guys and with our injuries we still had a shot to win the game in regulation," said TWU Head Coach Stan Peters. "It was a great crowd and a fantastic atmosphere and it was a great opportunity for our guys to learn in a highly charged environment."

TWU came out on fire to start the game and quickly jumped out to an 8-0 lead. Then the game became very deliberate with little transition. Georgia cut into the Spartans lead and at the ten minute mark the score was 9-8 for TWU. The Spartans went on a 14-9 run to close the half with a 23-17 lead.

The second half had a little more scoring but this game was not going to be a shootout. The Spartans held their lead until there was 8:47 left, when Levi Stukes (Randallstown, Md) put the Bulldogs up 42-41. The final 8:47 had the two teams combine for a total of 15 points.

At the end of regulation Adam Friesen (4th yr, guard, Abbotsford, BC) had a jumper to win the game with three seconds to go, but the shot missed the mark and the teams went into overtime tied at 49-49.

Then overtime hit and the game was given new life.

In the first overtime the Spartans took the early lead on a pair of Adam Friesen free throws. A free throw by Steve Janzen (5th yr, guard, Burnaby, BC) put TWU up three points with four minutes remaining. Stukes answered with two foul shots for the Bulldogs to make the score 52-51. Isaac Neubert (1st yr, forward, Victoria, BC) made two foul shots with 3:30 remaining to put the Spartans up three points.

Stukes made two more foul shots to make it a one point game, 54-53 with three minutes remaining. TWU's Justin Vink (2nd yr, forward, London, ON) hit a jumper and Georgia's Sundiata Gaines matched it with two minutes remaining.

Georgia's Stukes hit a jumper with 1:42 remaining to put the Bulldogs up one, 57-56. Logan Kitteringham (5th yr, post, Langley, BC) gave the Spartans back the lead, 58-57 on a put-back rebound of a missed Adam Friesen three-point shot.

Georgia's Dave Bliss (Wausau, Wis.) tied the game at 58 when he went 1-2 from the line with 52 seconds remaining. TWU's Steve Janzen missed a three point shot with 38 seconds remaining to give the Bulldogs the ball and a shot to win.

Georgia's Stukes worked the clock down from the top of the key, and with eight seconds left attacked the basket and made the jumper to put Georgia up 60-58 with six seconds remaining.

The Spartans quickly inbounded the ball and Adam Friesen pushed the ball up the right side of the court and made a cross over before pulling up just inside the three point line. Friesen released the ball just before the buzzer sounded. The ball sailed through the air and through the basket to tie the game at 60-60 as cheers from the Spartan Faithful drowned out the sound of the buzzer.

The second overtime started the same as the first with the Spartans making two foul shots. This time it was Logan Kitteringham who gave TWU the early lead.

Levi Stukes answered for the Bulldogs with two more foul shots to tie the game at 62.

Adam Friesen gave TWU a one point lead with three minutes remaining when he went 1-2 from the line. A jumper and a foul shot by Georgia's Channing Toney gave the Bulldogs a two point lead, 65-63, with 2:30 remaining.

Then the wheels fell off for the Spartans. TWU went 0-5 from the field and had two turnovers as Georgia pulled away for the 75-63 win. "Our young players had a hard time settling down and learning to play in front of a large energized crowd," said Peters.

Adam Friesen (20 points and eight rebounds) and Logan Kitteringham (16 points and seven rebounds) led the Spartans, while Levi Stukes (29 points and seven rebounds) led the Bulldogs.

Next up for the Spartans is an NCAA double-header in Oregon Sunday, November 7 at the University of Oregon Ducks and Monday, November 8 at the University of Portland Pilots.

Game Notes: TWU shot 28% from the field (17-60), while Georgia shot 36% (25-69)...Georgia outrebounded TWU 56-45...the Spartans had 24 turnovers to the Bulldogs' 18....the Spartans had the edge on the foul line 25-38 to Georgia's 21-34...

-TW-

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