BURNABY, B.C. - A fantastic comeback attempt by the Simon Fraser women's basketball team fell short in an 81-75 loss to host Point Loma Nazarene (California) at the Sea Lions Thanksgiving Classic Saturday in San Diego. 

SFU trailed by 22 points late in the second quarter but came all the way back to take a 75-74 lead when sophomore guard Grace Killins nailed a jump shot with 1:02 left in the game. It was her second bucket in a row. However, the Sea Lions went ahead on the next possession on an Annika Thayer layup.

After SFU missed on a jumper with 20 seconds on the clock, the team had to start fouling. PLNU did just enough – going 5 of 8 from the free-throw line and recording two steals – the rest of the way to earn the win.

Sophomore guard/forward Jessica Wisotzki led SFU with 27 points and eight rebounds on 11 of 22 shooting.

Four players chipped with eight points: Killins, Claudia Hart, Emma Kramer, and Georgia Swant, a junior guard who also had six rebounds and four steals. 
 

Head coach Bruce Langford's players shot 48.5 per cent from the field (33 of 68) and 23.5 per cent (four of 17) from long distance.

The Sea Lions had four double-digit scorers Saturday, and made exactly half of their 58 shot attempts. PLNU shot 61.5 per cent (eight of 13) from behind the three-point line. Haylee Saurette posted 21 points to pace the hosts' offence. 

Saurette's triple with 3:29 left in the second quarter gave PLNU a 42-20 lead, the largest of the day. She recorded the final five points of the half for her team, which took a 50-31 into the mid-game break.

SFU chipped away at the deficit, opening the third quarter with an 8-1 run. Freshman guard Sophia Wisotzki got the first bucket of the half, and Swant followed up with a jumper. Kramer, a junior guard, got back-to-back baskets to close the gap to 51-39 with 6:22 left in the quarter.

The visitors drew within four points, 60-56, after finishing a 9-2 surge with 1:10 remaining in the third. Swant converted a long-range bucket in between three-point plays from Jessica Wisotzki, who made a shot from beyond the arc with 2:28 to go and capped off the run with a layup and a foul shot.

With 3:44 left in the final period, PLNU still led by six points 73-67. Hart scored for SFU which then forced a stop on the defensive end. On the ensuing trip up the floor, SFU got a couple of looks at the basket but couldn't convert. Off the second miss, Jessica Wisotzki grabbed the offensive rebound and drew a foul, sending her to the free-throw line. She was good on both shots, closing the margin between the two sides to just 73-71 in favour of the Sea Lions.

PLNU then went 1 of 2 at the foul line to push its lead to 74-71, setting the stage for Killins' two jumpers to pull SFU in front for the first time since Sophia Wisotzki started the contest with a long-range shot. The Sea Lions scored 13 consecutive points after that to lead 13-3.

SFU (3-5) split its games at the Sea Lions Thanksgiving Classic, beating Concordia (California) on Friday before Saturday's result. The team will now begin preparations for its first Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchup on Dec. 4 at Western Washington. SFU's first home game since before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic will take place on Dec. 30 at the West Gym against Saint Martin's (Washington).

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