Scheduled Game: THOMPSON RIVERS*

92

GAME RESULTS 1 2 T Thompson Rivers 45 47 92 Trinity Western 57 40 97 « FINAL

97

Game Recap

Men’s Basketball (Canada West)
Saturday, November 18, 2006
TWU (97) TRU (92)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BANMAN SETS TWU RECORD IN 97-92 WIN OVER THOMPSON RIVERS
Brian Banman makes nine threes as part of a career-high 37

LANGLEY, British Columbia – It seemed like every time the Wolf Pack made a push to cut into a 10-point Spartan lead, Brian Banman (4th year, Kelowna, B.C.) was there with a three.  He made 9 of 13 as the Trinity Western Spartans (4-4) defeated the Thompson Rivers University Wolf Pack (0-8) Saturday night, winning their fourth straight at home.  Banman finished the night with a career-high 37 points.

“Brian’s worked so hard at his game, and he’s shown it all season that when he stays out of foul trouble, he can just get in his groove,” said TWU Coach Stan Peters of Banman’s performance, “He can knock them down, he can penetrate, and he’s great from the line.”

It didn’t matter if it was the free-throw line or three-point line on this night; Brian Banman was not missing very much. He drained nine threes in the game, setting a TWU record, surpassing the previous record of seven set by Brad Unger against Victoria on February 1, 2002.  It also marks the most threes hit in a Canada West Conference game this year which was seven by Darcy Coss of Manitoba versus Lethbridge on October 13, 2006.

Banman’s 37 is a career high, but also stands as the second most points in a single game played by a TWU player, surpassing 36 scored by David Martens against Saskatchewan on January 4, 2002, but shy of Adam Friesen’s 41 set October, 25, 2002 versus McMaster.  Banman got off to a great start, scoring 26 by half, and his teammates played an important role in facilitating his success.

“We were able to attack away from him and force help,” said Peters, “and then we were able to get him the ball in a scoring situation.”

The Wolf Pack kept the game close throughout most of the first half, but couldn’t seem to keep tabs on Banman, who hit on six of his eight attempts from behind the arc.  The largest margin in the game was eight until the last 1:30 of the half where the Spartans went on a small run. 

Leading 57-45 Trinity Western began the second half the same way they ended the first, jumping to a 20-point lead with 15 minutes still up on the score-clock.  The Wolf Pack countered to close the lead to 10 with 10:49 left in the game.  The Spartan offense continued to flow courtesy Banman’s shooting.

With 3:35 remaining, and no three from Banman to ruin their momentum, TRU cut deeper into their deficit and were suddenly in a five-point game.  Banman was having a career night for the Spartans, but the Wolf Pack defenders found a way to slow the Kelowna native with physical play and guarding the long-range pull-up.

It was an onslaught of offense from the TRU men in combination with a bit of a scoring drought from the Spartans that brought the game to within five.  The Wolf Pack shot 53.7% in the second half, an improvement on their 42.9% in the first.

A jumper by Charlie Spurr (Victoria, B.C.) made it a 3-point game with 2:49 on the clock.  Spurr scored 11 second-half points to finish with a team-high 18, while Wolf Pack teammate Braeden Jones (Steveson, B.C.) added 10 in the second to finish with 16.

But while the Wolf Pack defense was making things hard for Banman, the Spartans found David Bron (5th year, Surrey, B.C.) for two consecutive lay-ups in transition to hold the lead at five, the eventual final spread.

“I thought in the last minute when we needed hoops, we got the hoops that we needed,” Coach Peters simplifies.  “I was really happy with the guys.  We didn’t lose our focus, we didn’t succumb, and we were able to finish the game off, and get the win.”

Thompson Rivers had found themselves with three starters on the bench because of foul trouble in the first half, but managed to keep the game close regardless.  Brian Smith (Maple Ridge, B.C.) had four, Kamar Burke (Mississauga, O.N.) had three ,and Braeden Jones had three fouls of his own after 15 minutes of first half play.  On the game, TWU was called for 34 fouls to TRU’s 23, leading to a difference of 15 attempts from the free-throw line in favor of the Wolf Pack.

The Spartan men are away next weekend at the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba.  There next home game tips off on Thursday, November 30, 2006 against the University College of Fraser Valley at 8:00 pm.

Game Notes: TWU ties the record for three-pointers made in a game at 13...TWU ties 2nd most three-pointers attempted as a team with 31...TWU’s Brian Banman ties the second most three-pointers attempted in a game by a single TWU player with 13...TRU’s had 6 players with 2 assists each...

- TW -

- Jay Duke, TWU Sports Info Assistant

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