BURNABY, B.C. – For the second outing in a row, Simon Fraser forward Gemma Cutler of North Vancouver, B.C., put together a career-best performance.
 
Against the visiting Alaska Anchorage Seawolves Saturday afternoon at the West Gym in Burnaby, B.C., the sophomore recorded a career-high 23 points, and 10 field goals (on just 11 attempts) and tied her single-game best with six blocked shots. Cutler also grabbed nine rebounds for the Red Leafs (3-4, 1-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference), who fell 86-69 to Alaska Anchorage (10-3, 2-2 GNAC), the 25th-ranked squad in the NCAA Division II women's basketball coaches' poll.
 
Teammate Jessica Wisotzki, a junior guard / forward from Langley, B.C., scored 20 points on 6 of 13 shooting from the field. She was also perfect on a half-dozen free throws to reach the 20-point mark for the 11th-straight game dating back to last season. Sophomore guard Sophia Wisotzki (Langley, B.C.) led SFU with six assists.
 
Jazzpher Evans paced the Seawolves with 17 points, while Rachel Ingram contributed 15. Vishe' Rabb had 13 points, nine rebounds and six steals.
 
"I was pleased with some aspects, I thought we came back nicely in the second half after trying to fix a couple of things," said Red Leafs head coach Bruce Langford. "We shot a better percentage than them (Alaska Anchorage), from the floor and from three, but they took 20 more shots. They wanted it more, their offensive rebounding was outstanding."
 

Alaska Anchorage led 38-33 at the half, and stretched the gap to 41-33 in the early parts of the third quarter. SFU then reeled off 10 points a row to go up 43-41. Senior guard Emma Kramer (Surrey, B.C.) began the run with a three-point basket, followed by Cutler and Jessica Wisotzki, who both made layups. With just over seven minutes left in the third quarter, Sophia Wisotzki hit her three-point attempt from the top of the arc to force a UAA timeout.
 
The Seawolves rallied to re-take a slim lead before a layup by senior forward Sophie Klassen (Chilliwack, B.C.) evened the score at 52-52. The ensuing foul shot was missed, but the Red Leafs grabbed the offensive rebound. It led to a free throw from freshman guard Myrlaine Shelvey of Langley, B.C., that gave SFU a 53-52 advantage.
 
However, that was the last lead of the day for the home side. Alaska Anchorage ended the third quarter with a 10-0 run. Jessica Wisotzki opened the final period with a three, and Cutler layups later in the quarter kept Red Leafs within a couple of possessions. But a 9-2 surge by the Seawolves extended their advantage to 13 points (75-62), which was large enough to hold off SFU.
 
The Red Leafs trailed 30-20 midway through the second quarter, but fought back with an 8-2 run, sparked by a three from senior guard Georgia Swant (North Vancouver, B.C.). A jump shot and free throw from Jessica Wisotzki followed, and a Cutler layup closed the gap to 32-28.
 
SFU led 14-11 with about two minutes remaining in the opening quarter but a 9-0 run put the Seawolves ahead 20-14 after 10 minutes of play.
 

Converting 25 of 49 field goal attempts, the Red Leafs shot 51 per cent, better than Anchorage's 46.4 per cent. However, the Seawolves created 20 more chances, thanks in part to 19 offensive rebounds, and made 32 of 69 shots. On three-point chances, SFU was 8-21 (38.1 per cent), while UAA was 6-18 (33.3 per cent). The Red Leafs made half of their 22 free throws, while the Seawolves converted 16 of 19 (84.2 per cent).
 
A big factor in Saturday's outcome was the turnover battle. Alaska Anchorage forced 24 while giving up 13. The Seawolves scored 31 points off turnovers, and SFU posted 13.
 
The Red Leafs are on the road next week, with games Thursday (4:15 p.m. PT) at Northwest Nazarene (Idaho), and Saturday (4 p.m.) in Moses Lake against Central Washington.
 
On Jan. 12, SFU will host Western Oregon at 7 p.m. at the West Gym, and the game will feature a Rep The Leaf bracelet giveaway. Two nights later, the Red Leafs will face Saint Martin's (Washington) at home, and there will be a bucket hat giveaway.
 
TICKET LINKS:
Jan. 12: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sfu-womens-basketball-vs-western-oregon-university-tickets-451192738627
Jan. 14: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sfu-womens-basketball-vs-saint-martins-university-tickets-451190231127
 
For the latest information on SFU Athletics, visit athletics.sfu.ca. You can also find us on social media at @SFU_Athletics.
 
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