MONMOUTH, Ore – Wilfried Balata hit a jumper with 18 seconds left in regulation time and then connected on a big three-ball in overtime to lift Simon Fraser University to a 75-73 overtime win over Western Oregon in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball game Tuesday afternoon.
 
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for SFU, now 4-3 in conference play and 9-6 overall. Western Oregon falls to 2-6 (GNAC) and 3-13 overall.
 
The teams were tied 67-67 at the end of regulation and were dead-locked at 69 two minutes into overtime. Balata made a big three-pointer, and after a Wolves miss, David Penney scored a layup on SFU's next possession for a 74-69 lead. Western made a pair of free throws but missed on three consecutive threes, the last with 12 seconds left in OT.
 
Penney rebounded the miss, held on for the foul, and then made one of two free throws for a 75-71 lead. WOU scored a layup with three seconds left for the final margin. Balata, Penney and Jordan Lyons scored SFU's eight points in OT.
 
The two teams traded leads in the second half after Western Oregon held a 36-32 lead at the break. SFU led by as many as five points in the second half and WOU was up six points with 5:24 to go in regulation. The game was tied nine times in the second half.
 
Julian Roche led SFU with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists in 41 minutes. He made 7 of his 14 shots from the field and three of five from beyond the arc. 
 
Balata scored 18 points on 8 of 15 shooting from the field, including 2-of-5 on threes, and grabbed six rebounds.
 
SFU connected on 8-of-23 threes and shot 47% from the field but had 13 turnovers. Both teams had 41 rebounds.
 
Defensively, SFU held the Wolves to 35% field goal shooting and 20.8% on threes.
 
Western Oregon held an 11-point lead in the first half but SFU closed it to four points at the half.
 
Jordan Lyons also reached double figures scoring with 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting and he grabbed seven boards.
 
SFU's next games will be in Alaska to play Anchorage on Thursday and Fairbanks on Saturday. SFU's next scheduled home game is Thursday, Feb. 10 vs Saint Martin's beginning at 7:00 PM in the West Gym.