By Mark Janzen, Trinity Western University
LANGLEY, B.C. – Fraser Valley completed a weekend sweep of Trinity Western with a 94-73 win over Saturday at the Langley Events Centre.
It was UFV in control of the contest from start to finish. Andrew Morris had a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Parm Bains had 28 points.
UFV (13-7) finished the night shooting 45 per cent (36-80) from the field while committing just three turnovers all game. Winning the turnover battle – TWU committed 12 turnovers – saw the Cascades finish with a 19-4 edge in points off turnovers.
While the Cascades led throughout the contest, TWU's Vartan Tanielian (Byblos, Lebanon) led the Spartans with 20 points and 10 rebounds in his final game in a Spartans uniform.
Tanielian, who was one of four TWU graduating seniors honoured Saturday, capped his illustrious career with a 20-point night, including two more 3-pointers to add his record-setting season. He finished the 2018-19 year with a Spartans single-season record 72 3-pointers, which marks the eighth best season in Canada West history.
For TWU (0-20), first-year Isaiah Reimer (Abbotsford, B.C.) had 15 points and seven rebounds, while Aaron Paetkau (Parksville, B.C.) had 12 points.
The Spartans shot 34.2 per cent (26-76) from the field, but were just 2 for 25 from 3-point range. UFV was 8 for 31 from beyond the arc.
Along with Tanielian, fellow senior Josiah Allison (Abbotsford, B.C.) had four points and seven rebounds. Seniors Tee Maberry (Pasadena, Calif.) and Eric Rogers (Chilliwack, B.C.) did not play.
The Cascades used a late surge in the first quarter to take a 20-12 lead and set the tone for the rest of the night. With Bains collecting seven points for UFV, the Cascades took control and never let go.
In the second quarter, UFV continued to roll, outscoring TWU 26-14 to take a 20-point lead, 46-26, into the break.
Earning 31 points in the second quarter to TWU's 26, the visiting Cascades carried momentum into the fourth quarter, holding a 77-52 lead. Through three quarters, UFV had a 14-0 edge in points off turnovers, with the Cascades only giving up one turnover while TWU had 10.
TWU outscored the Cascades 21-17 in the fourth quarter, but the Cascades never relinquished control en route to the win.
QUOTABLE
Aaron Muhic – TWU Head Coach
"It was a good night to honour the seniors. I know it's been a rough go on the court since they've been here, but I'm really proud of their perseverance and improvement. I thought we competed tonight and a lot of that is because of them. Our cupboard is kind of bare because of injuries, but it was nice to also see some of the young guys step up. I wish it would have come out a little better, but I thought the guys really did the best they could at the end of the day."
NOTABLE
• Tanielian finished his career with 1,109 points after collecting 38 over his final weekend.
• Tanielian also finished his career with 192 3-pointers, which puts him 12th all-time in Canada West history.
• TWU last matched up against UFV over a year ago, with each team winning on the road Jan. 4 (TWU lost 104-80) and Jan. 5 (TWU won 80-74).
NEXT UP
While TWU's season is over, UFV will host UNBC Thursday at 7 p.m. (PT) in the Canada West Play-In Game.
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 10 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, cross country and track & field. TWU also competes in the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) in men's hockey. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 11 U SPORTS team championships and 25 Canada West team championships.
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