Box Score

A late push by the University of Regina's men's basketball team gave the Cougars an 88-69 win over Trinity Western on Friday night at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport.

The Cougars (3-6) went into the fourth quarter holding a slim three-point lead over the Spartans, but the U of R scored the first nine points of the final frame to build up the first double-digit lead of the game for either team and held Trinity Western to just one field goal in the final three minutes to seal the win.

Frank Brown scored 23 points for the second game in a row to lead the Cougars and added a season-high 10 rebounds to notch his first double-double in a University of Regina uniform. Three other Cougar starters hit double figures in the win, as Paul Gareau and Brendan Hebert both had 14 points and Connor Burns scored 12.

Hebert, who was called upon to play 39 of the game's 40 minutes as Darius Mole was in foul trouble most of the game, dished out a career-high 11 assists for a double-double.

Mark Perrin scored 21 points to lead Trinity Western, while Eli Mara collected eight rebounds. Justin Bakuteka added 12 points and Kurtis Osborne scored 10, with both players fouling out late in the contest. Perrin, Osborne, and Tyler Linttell all tied for the game high with four steals.

The Cougars opened the scoring with a Burns dunk two and a half minutes into the first quarter and jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead, but 11 consecutive points by Trinity Western late in the period turned an eight-point deficit for the Spartans into a 16-13 lead.

Trinity Western (2-7) continued the momentum early in the second, scoring the first six points of the period to jump out to a 23-16 advantage. The Cougars battled back and after the two teams traded leads, Perrin gave the Spartans a two-point lead heading into halftime after finishing off a buzzer-beating fast break.

One of Brown's five three-pointers on the night early in the third gave the Cougars the lead for good, though they never led by more than seven points in the second half until the outburst early in the fourth quarter. Despite being saddled with four fouls, Mole was key in that 9-0 run to start the final period. The third-year guard assisted on two Burns layups and hit a three-point dagger to give the Cougars a 12-point lead before fouling out on the ensuing Trinity Western possession.

The Cougars will host No. 6-ranked Fraser Valley (6-3) on Saturday night at the CKHS, while Trinity Western will make the short trip east to face Brandon (2-7).