By: Jenessa Gladstone
Box Score
Burnaby, BC – The Simon Fraser University men's basketball came out victorious against Canadian rivals Kwantlen Polytechnic University, defeating the Eagles, 82-62.
"We had some great team effort and everyone got to play tonight. Good individual play by some of our sophomores, juniors, and freshmen. We're continuing to evolve as a basketball team," said Head Coach James Blake.
"I'm pleased with our efforts and the guys just need to continue to come out and play."
Justin Cole (Los Angeles, CA) led in points for the Clan, earning 15 in the game. David Gebru (Seattle, WA) also hit double digits, adding 12 points while shooting 10 for 12 from the free-throw line.
Redshirt freshman Gibran Sweani (Torrance, CA) and junior transfer Darius Page (Seattle, WA) tied for the lead in rebounds, each grabbing seven.
Eagle's guard Aaron Ram topped all scorers for the night, leading his team with 20 points.
Despite missing Senior Elijah Matthews (Washington, DC) due to a shoulder injury, SFU's effort was strong in the match, forcing 19 Kwantlen turnovers while committing only nine themselves.
The home team also controlled the boards, outrebounding the Eagles 47 to 36.
Kwantlen challenged the Clan throughout the first half as each team traded the lead throughout.
With SFU leading early on, Kwantlen broke down the deficit eventually earning the lead at 11:56, 16-15.
The teams continued to trade baskets over the next seven minutes until the Clan used a 9-2 run to take back the lead. With 4:36 remaining until halftime, the Clan led the Eagles, 31-29.
The Clan defence stepped up in the final minutes of the half, allowing Kwantlen to score just one more basket before the clock ran out.
A last second long-distance three-pointer from Cole brought SFU's lead to 46-31 by the break.
Ali Bosir knocked down a shot from beyond-the-arc on the Eagle's first possession of the second half, however it was not enough to spark a comeback for the visitors.
SFU continued to dominate the remainder of the game, outscoring Kwantlen, 36-31 and earning the 20-point win.
The win boosts SFU's record to 6-1 on the season, all non-conference play.
"The biggest challenge when we play some teams is stepping up our intensity right from the beginning rather than adjusting to their momentum," said Dillion Hamilton (Vancouver, BC). "We just need to keep our level high to compete in the GNAC games coming up."
Hamilton played 23 minutes in the game, finishing with eight points and four rebounds.
The Clan will face their first Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponents of the year next week, hosting the Saint Martin's University Saints and Western Oregon Wolves. The game against the Saints will take place in the West Gym at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 5 before the Clan hosts the Wolves on Saturday at 5:15 p.m. in the West Gym.
