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Timberwolves narrowly edged by top-ranked TWU Spartans on Shoot for the Cure night

Timberwolves fall short against top-ranked Spartans
Rich Abney/UNBC Athletics

The top-ranked Trinity Western Spartans did just enough to hold off a game UNBC Timberwolves effort, topping the TWolves 81-75 on Saturday, February 19th, 2022 in Prince George, BC.  

Early in the first, it was the visitors who came out firing. Hailey Van Roekel made two jump shots and the Spartans built a 9-0 lead before the fans at the Northern Sport Centre could start their popcorn. However, UNBC settled down and began to chip away, using a Rebecca Landry three-pointer and good work inside from Emma vanBruinessen to cut into the deficit. Trinity Western did well to hold off the TWolves the rest of the way, and led 25-16 after ten minutes. “I took the shots my coach wanted me to take. She is always talking about taking the right shots and not forcing it,” said Van Roekel. “My teammates were finding me, so I really appreciate my teammates.” 

In the second quarter, Sergey Shchepotkin’s team dug in defensively, and looked to slow TWU’s impressive ball movement. Leading scorer Alina Shakirova found her stroke with a big three pointer, and reserve guards Anastasia Soltes and Sarah Kuklisin used their speed and energy to get out on the fast break. UNBC climbed all the way back into the game, despite all-star Nicole Fransson’s tremendous post game and interior passing, which led to a number of jumpers for the Spartans.  

A Soltes bunny at the buzzer made it a 44-42 Spartans lead at the half. Fransson and VanRoekel led the way for Trinity with 10 points each, as TWU held a 26-14 advantage in points in the paint. Shakirova was UNBC’s leader with 10 points. “I am trying to be aggressive and do what my teammates expect of me,” said Shakirova. “See the gaps where I can penetrate, to find open shots. I need to stay aggressive the whole time.” 

The teams traded baskets for much of the third stanza, with Landry getting to her spots for the TWolves, while Van Roekel continued to be red-hot for TWU. The Spartans offense was effective midway through the quarter, as Jenna Gill and Gracie Corneau came off the bench and contributed to the visitors building a seven-point lead. However, the TWolves refused to go away as Shakirova made a ridiculous and-one, and was helped along by Laura Garmendia Garcia and Soltes, as the TWolves trailed 62-60 after thirty minutes.  

The Spartans’ efficiency continued into the fourth quarter with the top-ranked team in the Pacific Division seemingly making every shot they had, stretching their lead to 12 points. Jolene Vlieg, Hailey VanRoekel, and Kianna Wiens made back-to-back-to-back treys, as UNBC couldn’t slow the TWU attack. The Timberwolves would use a Sarah Kuklisin three and a pair of Soltes drives to, again, chop the lead to single-digits, but that’s as close as they’d come. 

“We are in really good shape. When their shoulders were slumping, we were ready to go,” said Van Roekel, postgame. “We were ready to run and ready to take the game from them.” 

When the final buzzer sounded, TWU had earned an 81-75 victory, improving their record to 15-3. 

Shakirova paced UNBC with 17 points, to go along with five assists, five steals, and three rebounds. Soltes added 16 points off the bench, while vanBruinessen had 10 points and four rebounds. Sveta Boykova had six points, 14 rebounds, and five assists in a statsheet-filling performance. 

“We tried out best. We knew they’re a really strong team, and we really pushed that first half,” said Shakirova. “In the fourth quarter, some baskets weren’t falling. The ffort was there, but we need to push even more next weekend.” 

Van Roekel was tremendous for TWU with 20 points and five rebounds, and she was joined in double digit scoring by Kianna Wiens with 13, Kailey Reimer with 12, and Nicole Fransson with 10. Fransson had 12 boards to complete the double-double.  

“This was a really important game for us, and we got the job done,” said TWU’s Kianna Wiens, after the final regular season game of her Canada West career. “It has gone by in the blink of an eye. It feels like yesterday I was a first-year coming off the bench. Reflecting back on the journey, it has been awesome.”