BURNABY, B.C. – The Simon Fraser women's basketball team used a 12-0 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters to break open a tie game in its 64-57 win over visiting Seattle Pacific Saturday night at the West Gym.

The win moved SFU to 8-10 overall, and a half game above Seattle Pacific in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings with a record of 4-5 in league contests. The teams split their season series after the Falcons won 66-64 in overtime on January 6. Saturday's result was also SFU's third win in four outings.

Canada's NCAA team got 18 points from sophomore guard/forward Jessica Wisotzki and 14 from junior guard Georgia Swant, who made all four of her shots from long distance. Wisotzki went 8 of 10 at the foul line. Junior guard/forward Sophie Klassen led all players in the game with nine rebounds.

Natalie Hoff scored 15 points to lead the Falcons (8-12, 4-6 GNAC).

"They're (SPU) right where we are in the standings so we couldn't let them have two wins over us so from a standings' standpoint, it's a big win. But also, we've done a few things a little better lately and from a building momentum as a team standpoint, I think it was an important step," commented SFU head coach Bruce Langford.

"When we went to the press in the fourth, and we went to the zone defence, I think it helped change momentum. We had a couple of steals and a couple of big baskets. Georgia Swant had a great game at the point. She was 4 for 4 from the three-point line and 2 for 2 on free throws, with a good assist-to-turnover ratio. I thought that was a factor in our run. Sophie Klassen was really good on the boards, and generated a few plays that really helped us. We struggled shooting the ball with a lot of people. Our shooting percentage isn't where it needs to be if we're going to play with the best."
 

Simon Fraser and Seattle Pacific were knotted at 44 points apiece with 1:18 left in the third quarter. On the final play of the period, Wisotzki took a back-door pass from freshman guard Makenna Gardner and cut to the hoop to lay in the basket that gave her squad a 46-44 edge.

Then over the first 2:10 of the fourth quarter, SFU added another 10-consecutive points to push its advantage to 56-44. Swant opened the period with a contested three-point shot, and closed the run with a steal, a pair of foul shots, and then another triple. In between, Wisotzki hit a layup.

Klassen made a jumper inside the paint with 7:00 left on the clock to restore SFU's 12-point lead, its largest of the day.

An Anna Eddy long-range basket cut the Falcons' deficit to seven points, at 60-53, inside the last three minutes. Hoff shaved it to five, 62-57, with a pair of free throws with 45 seconds to go. SFU missed on its next shot but forced a turnover with 23 seconds remaining. The team took a timeout and Klassen clinched the victory with a fast-break layup to round out the scoring.

Little separated the teams in the first half, which concluded with SFU in front 32-28. The opening period ended 12-12 and featured a scoreless block of time that lasted more than four minutes.

There were eight lead changes in the second quarter before SFU was able to build its biggest lead in the opening half. Jessica Wisotzki converted a layup with just over a minute to go before halftime to put her team on top 32-26.
 

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The home side shot 37.7 per cent (23 of 61) from the field, and was successful on 30.8 per cent (8 of 26) of its attempts from behind the three-point line. SFU shot 83.3 per cent at the foul line (10 of 12). The team also outscored the Falcons 21-6 in points off turnovers.

Seattle Pacific was not as efficient offensively, going 35.2 per cent (19 of 54) from the field. The team hit a quarter of its three-point chances (6 of 24) and was good on 13 of 19 free throws (68.4 per cent).

SFU is back on the road next week, with games Tuesday at Central Washington, and Thursday at Northwest Nazarene (Idaho).

In an effort to lessen the effects of postponements and cancellations of games this season due to COVID-19, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference will expand this year's conference tournament to all 10 men's and women's programs. The GNAC Championships will run from March 2 to 5.

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