Scheduled Game: @British Columbia*

77

GAME RESULTS 1 2 T TWU 38 39 77 UBC 43 42 85 « FINAL

85

Game Recap

Men’s Basketball (Canada West)
Saturday, January 27, 2007
TWU Spartans (77) at the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds (85)

SPARTANS AND T-BIRDS BATTLE AGAIN

VANCOUVER – The sixth-ranked UBC men’s basketball team grinded out a narrow 85-77 victory over visiting Trinity Western Saturday night at War Memorial Gym to complete the series sweep of the Spartans.

The Thunderbirds improved to 17-2 in conference action, one game up on ninth-ranked Victoria (16-3) for first place in the Pacific Division, while the Spartans fell to 8-12.

Although both sides were without their marquee player – as UBC’s Casey Archibald and TWU’s Brian Banman (Kelowna, B.C.), two of top five scorers in the Canada West, were sidelined due to injury – each team insisted on playing their trademark style of run-and-gun basketball.

Despite Archibald’s absence the T-Birds started the contest strong, opening the game on a quick 18-5 run but began to fall off the pace as the half worn on, allowing the Spartans to cut the gap to five, 43-38, through 20 minutes of play.

In the final frame the two teams exchanged baskets for most of the half, playing an incredibly up tempo brand of basketball that resulted in a lot shots and also a lot of turnovers, until TWU made it a two-point game, 68-66, with 5:40 to play. But seven big points from UBC guard Chris Dyck down the stretch, including a dagger from beyond the arc to make it 73-66 and a clutch jumper with a minute to go to put it out of reach 80-70, lifted his side to victory.

Dyck finished the game with 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks, while Bryson Kool had a strong showing in the post with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Brett Leversage came in off the bench and put forward 18 quality minutes, scoring 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting while playing hard on the defensive end.

Michael Erickson (Kelowna, B.C.) paced the Spartans, who put up a whopping 74 shots on the night, with 17 points, while Luke Robinson (Ahousat, B.C.) added 15 points and six assists. Jason Keegstra (Vernon, B.C.) chipped in 10 points and six rebounds.

The Spartans will now play the Simon Fraser University Clan in a home and home series beginning on Thursday, February 1 at SFU and concluding Friday, February 2 at TWU. Game time on Burnaby Mountain is at 7 p.m., while game time at TWU is at 8 p.m.

Game Notes: UBC had 48 rebounds to TWU’s 35...the Thunderbirds committed 30 turnovers, while the Spartans committed 19...UBC shot 27-54 (50%), while TWU shot 25-74 (33.8%)...

-TW-
-contributions from UBC Sports Information

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