Box Score
Langley – Despite trailing from start to finish, the Lethbridge Pronghorns were within striking distance in the final quarter but could not get over the hump and fell 74-64 to the Trinity Western Spartans in the first of the two game series.
 
Zoe Dahl led the way for the Pronghorns with 16 points, while Teesha Olson continued her strong play for the 'Horns with 15 points. Jessica Bachynski had arguably her best game in the Pronghorns jersey picked up a double-double with 14 points and 14 boards.
 
The Spartans Tessa Ratzlaff (Abbotsford, B.C.) had double-double as well, collecting 23 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, to help TWU improve to 5-4 on the season.
 
Early in the fourth quarter, Lethbridge (2-7) closed the gap to just two points, 59-57, but TWU responded with an 8-0 run to open a 10-point advantage and put the game out of reach. The Pronghorns were never closer than six points the rest of the way. 
 
As a team, the Spartans shot 41.8 per cent from the field while Lethbridge shot 41.1 per cent.
 
TWU took a 5-3 lead early in the first quarter and, after that, never trailed. The Spartans held a 43-37 halftime lead.
 
Kayla Gordon (Prince George, B.C.) had 16 points and seven boards for the Spartans while Jessie Brown (Langley) also had 16 points. 
 
Shooting 75 per cent in the first quarter, the Spartans raced out to a 21-16 lead through 10 minutes. While Lethbridge shot just 36.8 per cent, the visitors hung around thanks to seven offensive rebounds. Ratzlaff opened the game shooting five for six and collecting 11 points.
 
The Spartans had as much as a nine-point lead midway through the second quarter, but the Pronghorns closed the gap late before going into the break down by just six.
 
Ratzlaff led TWU in scoring with 13 points while Brown had 12. Dahl led Lethbridge with 15 points.
 
With TWU shooting just 33.3 per cent from the field, the Pronghorns were able to claw to within four points, 57-53, after three quarters.
 
After a Bachynski lay-up made it a two-point game early in the final frame, TWU's Gordon struck back with a jumper to spark the Spartans eight-point run. With TWU in control down the stretch, the Pronghorns never threatened the Spartans lead.
 
The 'Horns and Spartans will conclude the first semester of conference action tomorrow night in Langley, tip-off is scheduled for 5:00pm PST. Catch all the action on www.canadawest.tv