Box Score LANGLEY, BC – With a balanced offence that saw five players collect double-digit point totals, the Trinity Western men's basketball team earned an 86-80 win over Brandon Friday at the Langley Events Centre.
 
The Spartans took a three-point lead into the fourth quarter and while the Bobcats hung around, TWU maintained its lead throughout the final 10 minutes as the home side held on to improve to 8-9 on the season. The loss drops Brandon to 5-12 and sees its already fading playoff hopes disappear entirely.
 
Trinity Western opened 14-point third quarter lead, at 63-49, only to see Brandon rally to get within one point at 63-62 early in the fourth quarter. From there it was largely back and forth throughout the final frame but the Bobcats were never able to truly threaten down the stretch. The visitors got as close as four points inside the final minute at 84-80 but a pair of Spartans free throws put the game away.
 
The Spartans were led by Justin Bakuteka (Toronto), who had 15 points and five rebounds. Kelvin Smith (Los Angeles) added 14 points and five rebounds himself while Denny McDonald (Mississauga, Ont.) and Tyler Lintell (Kelowna, B.C.) each had 11 points. Robert Rodriguez (Sacramento, Calif.) had 10 points and six assists with just one turnover. Jesse Jeffers (North Vancouver, B.C.) had a game-high eight rebounds to go with nine points.
 
For Brandon, it was Emerick Ravier leading the way with 22 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Ali-Mounir Benabdelhak added 12 points and seven boards while Kenonte Ramsey had 13 points and Mikee Dosado added 11.
 
The Spartans opened the game with all the momentum as they built a 16-3 lead. However, Brandon came right back and after a Dosado 3-pointer got within one point at 18-17. The Spartans responded with two points to make it 20-17 after the first.
 
The second quarter saw TWU push its lead to eight-points by halftime as they Spartans outscored Brandon 24-19 in the quarter. The Spartans used the long ball, collecting four 3-pointers in the quarter, to put pressure on the Bobcats throughout the frame. At halftime, TWU led 44-36. Lintell led the Spartans with eight points while Ramsey had a team-high 10 points for Brandon at the break.
 
Early in the third quarter, it looked like TWU might run away with the game. The Spartans Rodriguez knocked down an early 3-pointer to make it 47-36. And then with just over three minutes left in the quarter TWU extended its lead to 14 points at 63-49. But Brandon rallied. The Bobcats finished the quarter on an 11-0 run and trailed by just three points, 63-60 with 10 minutes to play.
 
The fourth quarter was back-and-forth from start to finish. The Spartans opened a 77-69 lead after Bakuteka made all three free throws following a foul while shooting from beyond the arc. A put-back play by Benabdelhak got Brandon within four points at 77-73. Then, in the last minute, a Benabdelhak 3-pointer made it a four-point game again, but that was it for the Bobcats offence. A pair of free throws from Rodriguez put the game out of reach.
 
The Spartans are back on the court Saturday when they host Regina at 7 p.m. Brandon will travel to play Fraser Valley Saturday at 7 p.m.
 
Game Notes: TWU snapped a two-game losing streak at home, having lost both games against Thompson Rivers last weekend at the LEC…after shooting 3 for 19 from 3-point range last Saturday, TWU was 10 for 24...TWU's Mark Perrin (Toronto), who is the Spartans second leading scorer this year, did not play.