Vancouver – Trinity Western fourth year guard Ja’Qualyn Gilbreath had a record night as the Spartans lost 109-102 to the UBC Thunderbirds Thursday night at War Memorial Gym in Vancouver. Gilbreath recorded TWU’s first every Canada West triple-double finishing the night with 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the loss to the Thunderbirds. The 33 points marks the highest scoring triple-double in the Canada West record book, passing Saskatchewan’s Showron Glover’s 31-11-12 against Manitoba on January 30, 2010.
The win improves the Thunderbirds to 10-3, while the loss drops the Spartans to 2-9. The victory gives UBC head coach Kevin Hanson 314 wins in his Canada West coaching career which sets a new Canada West record. Entering tonight’s contest Hanson was tied with Alberta’s Don Horwood at 313 victories.
Second year wing Isaiah Reimer (Abbotsford, B.C.) each added 13 points to the TWU scoring, while fifth year forward Jack Nadelhoffer (Tigard, Oregon), third year guard Riley Braich (Abbotsford, B.C.), and rookie guard Gabe Mannes (Chilliwack, B.C,) added 12 points each to the Spartans scoring line
UBC had three players match each other in point totals with Grant Audu, Grant Shepard, and Jadon Cohee each hitting for 22 points.
The Spartans had strong shooting night finishing 39-83, 47 percent, from the field and 13-38, 34.2 percent from the three-point line. While UBC finished 30-61, 49.2 percent, from the field and 4-18, 22.2 percent from the three point line. But the difference in the game was from the foul line where UBC finished shooting 86.5 percent shooting an astonishing 52 foul shots. TWU finished the evening going 11-13 from the foul line.
The Thunderbirds had the better of the Spartans in the opening quarter taking a 29-20 lead after 10 minutes.
With
the first half winding down, Gilbreath tied it up at 35-35 with a
smooth up-and-under finish before banking home a runner to even it up
again at 37-37. Braich
hit a three to give the visitors a narrow 44-41 advantage, but Cohee
replied with a triple of his own and the two teams went into halftime
deadlocked at 44-44.
Coming of the UBC bench Brian Wallack put the ‘Birds up one with a pair
of free throws at 58-57. Clair then found a cutting Wallack for an easy
two at 62-60. Jonah Morrison extended the lead with a short jumper at
68-62. UBC pulled away late in the third quarter,
punctuated by a Jack Cruz-Dumont three to send the home team into the
final frame up 76-65.
The
Spartans made a strong comeback attempt in the fourth as third year
forward Adam Gehrig (Toowoomba, AUS) cut the lead to five with a
contested three at 78-73
and Nadelhoffer grabbed a steal and laid it home, untouched, to make it
a three-point game at 80-77. Gilbreath continued to pour in the
jumpers, connecting from downtown to keep it a one-possession game at
85-82. Reimer then knocked down a triple of his own
to knot it up at 85-85.
The teams traded blows in the fourth as Gilbreath penetrated and kicked
to Mannes to give TWU a lead at 91-90, but Cohee came right back with a
layup to reclaim the lead and the ‘Birds never looked back. UBC would
close
out the game with a 19-11 run to earn the victory.
- The 33 points marks the sixth time this season that Gilbreath, who leads U SPORTS AND Canada West in scoring averaging 25.6 points a game, has broken the 30 point mark.
- The Spartans last beat the Thunderbirds on November 9, 2013. TWU won 73-66 in Vancouver.
- TWU is 13-45 lifetime against UBC, losing their last 10 games.
- The Spartans had a season high 23 team assists. The last time TWU had at least 23 assists was six years ago at Winnipeg on January 11, 2014.
- TWU outrebounded UBC 40-39.
NEXT UP
The Spartans and the Thunderbirds will have a day off before renewing the weekend series Saturday evening in Vancouver. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. at UBC’s War Memorial.
