Spartans fall to No.4 Regina in Canada West Quarter-finals

Jolene Vlieg

Trinity Western's season came to an end Saturday night, as the Spartans lost 80-72 against No. 4-ranked Regina in the Canada West Quarter-Final at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health and Sport. Graduating senior Jolene Vlieg (178-G) (Edmonton) led the Spartans with 20 points and seven rebounds in her final game as a Spartan, while Jayden Gill (175-G) (Abbotsford, B.C.) had 17 points, three steals and three assists. Hailey Van Roekel (175-G) (Langley, B.C.) also hit double-digits in points, with 14 and five boards. Regina's Jade Belmore led the home side with 26 poitns and eight rebounds. Julie Vydrova and Dayna Pearce (170-G) added 12 points apiece. TWU finishes a strong season with a 13-9 overall record, including the regular season and playoffs. The Spartans got off to a hot start in the first quarter, taking a 7-2 lead and forcing the Cougars to take an early timeout. However, Regina swung back and eventually took a 24-18 lead into the second quarter. In a similar fashion to the first quarter, it was TWU getting off to a good start in the second quarter, evening the score 24-24 inside the first minute. From there the teams went back and forth until halftime, with the Spartans taking a 45-44 lead into the break. The Cougars got out to a quick start in the third quarter, taking a 10-point lead, at 61-51. TWU closed the gap back to three points with a 7-0 run, but the home side pushed back down the stretch and took a 70-60 lead into the final frame. In the fourth quarter, Spartans closed the gap to six points after an in-tight lay-up from Vlieg made it 78-72 with 1:56 to play. However, with TWU missing four 3-pointers in the final two minutes, the visitors were unable to close the gap in what ultimately became an eight-point loss. A defensive battle in the final quarter saw TWU outscore the Cougars 12-10 over the final 10 minutes.
Courtesy of: gospartans.ca

Tags : JOLENE VLIEG, TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY, CANADIAN BASKETBALL