MBB LOSE TO VIKES BY 32
(Greg Stewart was the top scorer for TRU in this Game)
For immediate Release: January 23, 2009
Kamloops, BC—It’s usually ‘home sweet home’. For the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack Men’s Basketball Team. The Tournament Capital Center was no more friendly than any of the gyms they have had to visit over the last few weeks. The WolfPack suffered another defeat. This time it was to the University of Victoria Vikes in the first meeting of the year between the two schools. The score was 88-56.
Turnovers killed TRU again. They gave the ball away 16 times in the first half and 23 the entire contest.
“That was definitely the tell tale stat of the first half,” said WolfPack head coach Thom Gillespie. “It was one of the things we highlighted as a requirement to compete. We just played the team which plays the best defence in the conference. We knew we were going to be challenged on a number of areas.”
“We were very warey coming in,” stated Vikes Coach Craig Beauchamp. “Thompson Rivers had lost a lot of close games. We wanted to have a good start and we succeeded.”
U Vic was led by Tyler Hass. The 5 th year forward from Victoria, BC had 27 points including 18 in the first half. Beauchamp credited Hass with having a strong game. Wendell Thomas (3rd year, forward, Kelowna, BC) had 12 points.
TRU’s top gunner was Greg Stewart. The 3rd year Post from Kamloops, BC had 17 points including 11 in the first half. He also had nine rebounds. Jeff Friesen (4 th year, forward, Duncan, BC) and Drew Bleth (4 th year, guard, Ridgefield, Wash) each had 8 points.
The two teams go at it Saturday at 7 pm in the final home game of the regular season for TRU.
“Our focus will be that its not a foregone conclusion, “ says Gillespie. “We can’t come to the game thinking that result has already been decided. If we can come and compete it’ll be a better game. We want the fans who see our final home game will remember it as a positive experience. We want them to think that we played out butts off and played good team basketball. We hope they’ll be excited about coming to watch us next year.”