BELMONT, Calif. – The Simon Fraser women's basketball team came back from eight points down in the final five minutes of regulation to force overtime in its non-conference matchup against the Academy of Art (Calif.) Monday afternoon, but ultimately fell 59-56.
 
Junior guard Emma Kramer led SFU with 11 points and seven rebounds. Guards Georgia Swant, a junior, and Sophia Wisotzki, a freshman, both chipped in with nine points. Sophia Wisotzki also recorded five steals. With a team-high 11 rebounds, senior forward Claudia Hart tied her career-best outing in that category. She also scored seven points.
 
Brooke Rodgers led four double-digit Urban Knights scorers with 15 points.
 
Academy of Art posted the first five points of OT to jump out to a 56-51 lead inside the opening minute.
 
With 3:46 left in the extra period, SFU's Hart grabbed the rebound off her own miss, and made the follow-up layup to break the Urban Knights' run. SFU then caused a turnover and converted that into a point from the foul line to close its deficit to 56-54. Swant's jump shot tied the game at 56-56 with 2:25 left in overtime.
 
Neither side could find any more points until a pair of free throws from ART U's Rodgers with 1:09 on the clock. The Urban Knights added another foul shot with 17 seconds left in the period. Both sides committed turnovers, allowing SFU one last chance to tie the game, but a three-point attempt on the final possession fell short.
 

The Canadian visitors ended the fourth quarter with an impressive 10-2 run to force overtime. An ART U free throw with just over five minutes left increased its lead to 49-41. About 30 seconds later, Sophia Wisotzki made it 49-44 on a fast-break layup, which was initiated by a steal from her sister Jessica. She was also fouled on the play, and converted the ensuing free throw.
 
SFU got a turnover on the next play, and Kramer scored a layup on the other end. With 3:48 left, the score was 49-46 in favour of the home team.
 
SFU forced Academy of Art into its third turnover in as many possessions, with the infraction being an offensive foul at 3:25. SFU grabbed three offensive rebounds on its trip down the floor, setting up a Jessica Wisotzki triple that tied the contest at 49-49 with 2:46 remaining.
 
Just over a minute later, Joy Krupa made a jumper to allow the Urban Knights to re-take the advantage. After a couple of unsuccessful offensive possessions, SFU's defence came up big again, inducing a turnover with 31 seconds to go. After a timeout by head coach Bruce Langford, SFU's Swant tied the game on a jumper in the paint, making an extra period necessary.
 

Hart and Kramer nailed three-point baskets to open the third quarter and push SFU ahead 27-25. Another long-range bucket – this time from sophomore guard Grace Killins – gave the team its largest lead of the game at 30-27 midway through the third.
 
ART U went back up 37-32 before baskets from Kramer and junior guard/forward Sophie Klassen made it a one-point game going into the fourth.
 
The Urban Knights led 25-21 at halftime, thanks in part to a 6-0 run in the middle of the second quarter.
 
The opening period, much like the rest of the game, was closely contested. Academy of Art was in front 11-4 late, then Killins replied with a three-point shot with 1:28 to go and a fast-break jumper in the final seconds to close SFU to within a possession at 11-9.
 
SFU made 23 of its 79 shots from the field (29.1 per cent), including seven three-pointers on 23 attempts (30.4 per cent). ART U was 22-75 (29.3 per cent) and 2-17 (11.8 per cent) from long distance. The Urban Knights won the rebounding battle 62-49.
 
After today's result, and the team's 1-1 record at the Holy Names Classic on the weekend, SFU is now 2-4 on the season. In two weeks, the team will head back to California for the Sea Lions Thanksgiving Classic at Point Loma Nazarene in San Diego.
 
On Friday, Nov. 26, SFU will have 11 a.m. game vs. Concordia (Calif.). The on Saturday, Nov. 27, the team will face the hosts Point Loma at 1 p.m.
 
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