It was a record-setting weekend for the Trinity Western Spartans men’s basketball team.
Tyrell Mara established a new school record with 21 rebounds in an 85-64 win over the Brandon Bobcats on Friday night. The 61 rebounds for the team was also a new record.
And the next night, it was the team setting a new bench mark, holding the Bobcats to 45 points, the lowest ever for a Spartans opponent, in a 104-45 blowout.
The two victories, both of which came at the Langley Events Centre, improved Trinity Western to 19-3, good for second place in the Canada West.
“I think after we talked last night, there was disappointment that the guys didn’t play better and we had a little more urgency tonight,” said coach Scott Allen. “The fourth quarter has been our Achilles this year and we wanted to do really drive it home and not quit.
“And the seniors really helped us make a statement.”
The Spartans held the Bobcats to eight points in the opening quarter, and then 15 each in the second and third. Brandon managed just seven points in the fourth to help Trinity Western establish the record. The previous low was from 2009, when they held Waterloo to 47 points.
Jacob Doerksen led the way with 21 points, including 15 in the first quarter alone, while Tristan Smith had 18 points and five assists. Mara added 13 points, 14 rebounds and a blocked shot.
Friday’s game was much closer.
“We had a slow start to the game,” Allen said. “We had a lack of execution and a laissez faire attitude towards the game.
“You can’t take anyone for granted in the CIS and I think we got a couple of runs going and that’s all it ended up taking.”
Allen was impressed by the play of Mara, who finished with 21 rebounds — including 10 on the offensive glass — as well as 20 points.
“He played a heck of a game and he epitomizes team work and makes everyone else better around him and he competes every night,” Allen said.
Kyle Coston had 14 points, while Calvin Westbrook finished with a dozen.
