WolfPack defeats ThunderWolves

The TRU WolfPack men’s basketball team defeated the Lakehead University ThunderWolves in exhibition play Thursday night at the Tournament Capital Centre.
The 87-77 win marked the last home game in the team’s exhibition season.
During the first quarter of the game Lakehead lead the scoring, taking every opportunity they could, while TRU seemed to be holding back. At the end of the quarter the WolfPack was losing 18-26.
In the second quarter the WolfPack took a positive turn and managed to take the lead back from Lakehead.
WolfPack player number 21, Drew Bleth and player number four, Jeff Friesen, dominated the court during the game on Thursday. As half time approached the WolfPack was winning 39-33, with 13 of those points being credited to Bleth and 16 of them to Friesen.
The third quarter was a constant back and forth of baskets resulting in the WolfPack leading once again, 69-60.
For a brief time during the final quarter of the game Lakehead overtook the WolfPack, but they battled back and took the lead, resulting in an 87-77 win for TRU.
Number 21 Drew Bleth was the team’s top point scorer of the evening with an impressive 26 points, while number four Jeff Friesen followed closely behind with 24 points.
“Friesen had his moments… he had a strong game, Drew had a strong game too,” said Head Coach Thom Gillespie in an interview after the game. “It was definitely a team effort.”
“There is a lot of new and young talent and we can expect the same in the coming games,” said Gillespie. “Flashes of Brilliance and moments of not greatness…but certainly a good group of guys.”
Gillespie said that the team’s focus in upcoming games would be to take care of turnovers.
This is Gillespie’s first year coaching at TRU, but given the teams record in the exhibition season so far we can expect good things from him and the team in the season to come.
The men’s season opener will take place on Friday October 24 at eight p.m. against the University of the Fraser Valley in Kamloops at the Tournament Capital Centre.
The WolfPack women’s basketball team opens their season at six p.m. on October 24 as well, just before the men.