The Trinity Western Spartans men’s basketball team is still looking for their first victory after dropping a pair of games to the Alberta Golden Bears.
The Spartans lost 85-59 and 85-66 to the visiting Bears on Friday and Saturday at the Langley Events Centre to fall to 0-4 on the season.
The second game saw the Spartans trailing by just two points at the half, but Alberta dominated the final two quarters to win by 17 points.
The Spartans were led by Kelvin Smith, who had 14 points and six rebounds, and first-year Kosia Kauw, who made his first start with TWU and had a game-high 12 boards to go with nine points. Fellow freshman Nick Tancon also had a strong night, playing 21 minutes and collecting six points and four boards.
“I was very impressed with Kosia’s energy,” said Spartans coach Scott Allen. “He deserved to get the start and he played well. Nick Tancon also had a stellar game and between the two of them, they logged 45 minutes.
“Other than those two, as a team, we just can’t seem to look after the ball and we’re not seeing things properly. But we’ll regroup and get ready for Lethbridge next weekend.”
Denny McDonald (12 points) and Justin Bakuteka (10 points) led the Spartans in Friday’s defeat.
The Trinity Western women’s team also lost twice over the weekend to the visiting Alberta Pandas, seeing their record fall to 2-2.
The Spartans fell 89-55 on Friday and 88-65 on Saturday to the third-ranked Pandas.
“We went after it today and we challenged them and showed some different looks defensively,” said Spartans coach Cheryl Jean-Paul. “I think that really struck a cord with the girls and their ability to come onto the floor and contribute. We had some key shifts from some of the athletes that have been waiting for opportunities. I thought they took their opportunities really well and showed some good things.”
“I think some of the things we did against this team is going to help us beat other teams,” Jean-Paul said. “I think the team did a better job of making a statement and protecting their key a little better. We’re talking about an Alberta team that doesn’t miss a lot of shots and we just have to find a way to battle through some of those things.”
Jessie Brown led the Spartans with 16 points while Kayla Gordon had five assists.
In Friday’s game, Luca Schmidt (16 points) and Chantelle Martin (13 points) led the way.
Both Spartan teams are in action at the LEC this weekend as they host the Lethtbridge Pronghorns.
