By: Jenessa Gladstone
Box Score
Monmouth, OR – Starting off their final road trip of the 2013-14 season on Wednesday night, the Simon Fraser University men's basketball team was defeated by the Western Oregon University Wolves, 82-71.
"This was a great experience for the kids to play on TV. They played well overall in the game, we just needed a little bit more of a team effort," said Head Coach
James Blake.
"On the defensive end, we just wore down in the second half. They started getting us on the offensive boards. Going down the stretch, that was ultimately what led to our demise."
Topping all players for the night,
Sango Niang (Paris, France) led the Clan with 30 points.
Taylor Dunn (Vancouver, WA) also earned double-digits, adding 16 for the visitors.
Ibrahim Appiah (Montreal, QC) led in rebounding, grabbing a season-high 19 in the game.
The Wolves were led by Andy Avgi, who scored 21 points for the home team, while Rodney Webster followed with 14.
Turnovers hurt SFU as the Clan committed 15 during the battle, and the team also suffered beyond-the-arc, shooting just 20 percent from three-point range.
SFU suffered from a shaky start, as the Clan's first points did not come until four minutes in to the game, bringing the score to 13-2.
However SFU stormed back, scoring 14 unanswered points to earn a 14-13 lead with 12:04 to go in the first half.
Although the visitors went on to hold the lead until just over the five minute mark, the Wolves used an 11-0 run to earn a 36-30 edge with 4:02 sitting on the clock.
Both teams traded the lead throughout the final minute of the first half, but SFU could not score on their brief final possession of the half, allowing WOU to take a 41-40 lead at the break.
Seven minutes into the second half, the Wolves expanded their lead to 56-45 off of an 11-1 run.
Once again, the Clan fought to chip away at the deficit, coming within five, 67-62, with 6:11 remaining in the game.
Despite continuous efforts, SFU was not able to overcome WOU to come away with a victory.
The loss drops the Clan's record to 10-15 overall and 3-14 in the GNAC.
The team will play their final game of the season in Lacey, WA on Saturday, March 1 when they take on the Saint Martin's University Saints at 7:00 p.m.
"Overall I'm happy with the effort. We have some great individual efforts and some things to build on for Saturday night," finished Blake. "We play every game like it's a playoff game, and that's what you'll see again Saturday."
