BURNABY – Senior guard Kedar Salam scored 40 points to lead Simon Fraser University to its eighth win of the season, 91-78, over Central Washington in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball game in the West Gym on Thursday.
 
It was the third time that a Simon Fraser player has scored 40-or-more points in the NCAA-era. Ricky Berry went for 40 against Western Washington in 2011 and Sango Niang scored 46 against Central in 2015. The GNAC single-game scoring record is 50 points.
 
The victory was just SFU's second win over Central in 16 games dating back to the 1994-95 season.
 
Simon Fraser led 33-30 at the half but scored 58 second half points to blow open a close game and win for the eighth time this season. Simon Fraser is now 8-5 overall and 2-3 in the GNAC. The most wins in a season for SFU in the NCAA-era is 11, when the Clan went 11-15 in 2014-15.
 
The red-hot shooting Clan snapped a four-game CWU winning streak. Central is now 7-5 and 2-3 in the conference.

Simon Fraser shot 56% from the field (30-of-53), 43% on threes (7-of-16) and 92% from the line (24-26) to improve to 6-1 at home.
 
Central Washington led 52-51 with just over 11 minutes to play when the Clan took over the lead, which was single digits, until the final five minutes. Salam scored 27 of his 40 points in the second half on 8-of-11 shooting, connecting on 3-of-5 three-pointers.
 
Salam's line for the game was impressive: 11-of-19 from the field, 6-of-9 on threes, 12-of-12 on free throws. He grabbed six rebounds and had two steals playing 39 minutes.
 
"I thought we executed well and closed down really well," said Salam. "I bring whatever is needed but we have three seniors who are all playing well and sometimes it's me, sometimes it is Iziah (Sherman-Newsome) and sometimes it's JJ (Pankratz). 
 
"I have been struggling at line this year a little bit, so I have put in a lot of extra work, and when you do that, good things happen," said Salam.
 
Junior forward Tyrell Lewin had a big game against a stacked Central front line, scoring 10-points on 5-of-6 shooting and pulling down nine rebounds in 26 minutes. JJ Pankratz also chipped in with 15 points.
 
Five Central players scored in double figures.
 
The Clan plays Saturday, Jan. 6 vs Northwest Nazarene and then faces conference leading Western Washington on Tuesday, January 9. Tuesday's game will feature an encore performance by the MEI Screaming Eagles Marching Band and free courtside haircuts. Stylists from Azzi Hair Studio, located in the Cornerstone Building on campus, will be in the West Gym offering courtesy haircuts. Fans will be able to enjoy the game and get a free haircut. Tipoff is 7PM.
 
Follow the SFU men's basketball team on the club's official Twitter and Instagram accounts at @SFU_MBB.
 
--@SFUClan--