BURNABY, BC –The Western Washington University Vikings used a 12-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to turn a three-point deficit into an 73-66 victory over Simon Fraser University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball game at the West Gym.
It was the second straight loss for the Clan after peeling off five straight wins. Simon Fraser drops to 12-10 overall and 10-7 in GNAC play. Simon Fraser owns the fourth playoff spot, and along with Alaska Anchorage, WWU, and Montana State Billings, the Clan has clinched its spot in the GNAC Women's Basketball Championships in Lacey, Wash. beginning on Mar. 3.
The Clan is three games back of third place and two games up on fifth place, putting them as the likely fourth seed for the GNAC tournament.
The Vikings recorded their seventh consecutive victory to improve to 19-6 overall and stayed in second place in the GNAC with a 15-2 league mark.
Western trailed 56-53 with 8:59 remaining in the game before going on a 12-0 run. Freshman Alyssa Evans put the Vikings ahead 57-56 with a jumper at the 7:51 mark, a lead the Vikings would never relinquish. Over the final 8:26 in the game WWU out-scored the Clan 20-10 to end the game.
The Clan led by as many as 7 points at 49-42 midway through the third quarter, but the Vikings went on a 9-2 run to end the third quarter tied at 51-51.
The Vikings were held to a 42.2% field goal percentage (27-for-64), well below their league-leading mark of 48.4% (4th in NCAA II) entering the game. On defense WWU stifled one of the best three-point shooting teams in the nation, allowing the Clan just six three-pointers, 3.5 three-pointers below their season average.
Simon Fraser was led by 16 points from GNAC leading scorer
Elisa Homer, who is second in Division II in three-pointers made per game (4.00), fifth in three-pointers attempted (213) and sixth in total three-pointers made (84).
Rachel Fradgley scored 15 points and
Ellen Kett registered five points and nine assist playing all 40 minutes. Kett leads Division II in three-point field goal percentage (53.7) and is ranked third in assists per game (7.0) and seventh in total assists (148).
WWU forward Rachel Albert scored a career-high 19 points (9-for-14 shooting) to lead all players while point guard Taylor Peacocke added 18 points.
SFU plays Montana State Billings (17-7 overall, 13-3 GNAC) on Thursday in a basketball double header in the West Gym. The game will take place at 7:30 PM. The men's team plays Northwest Nazarene beginning at 5:15 PM.
Follow the SFU Clan women's basketball team on the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/SFUWomensbball.
--@SFUClan-
