BURNABY, B.C. – After a wild, come-from-behind win over the Cal State East Bay Pioneers Friday, the SFU Red Leafs made Saturday night a bit less stressful on themselves, cruising to a 78-59 victory over the host Stanislaus State Warriors on the final day of the Warriors Classic women's basketball tournament.
 
The sisters Wisotzki of Langley, B.C., Jessica and Sophia, dominated from the jump. Jessica, the senior guard/forward, led the Red Leafs with a game-leading 27 points and six rebounds, adding a steal for good measure. Sophia, the junior guard, accounted for 22 points on an impressive 7 of 13 (53.8 per cent) shooting performance, while tacking on three boards, four assists, and a steal of her own.
 
The Warriors came out with a lot of jump early, racing to a 5-0 lead but SFU settled in, and an 8-0 all-Wisotzki run, including two deep triples from Jessica, put the Red Leafs back out in front.
 
SFU took a 17-12 lead into the second quarter, and continued to pressure on the Warriors on the attack. It worked, as the Red Leafs notched another 16 points off the fast break in the second quarter alone. SFU also stayed hot from beyond the arc, as Grace Killins (Coquitlam, B.C.) knocked down all of her game-high three treys in that second frame alone, helping the Red Leafs to a 38-25 lead at halftime.
 
SSU managed to cut the Red Leafs' lead back down to single digits in the third quarter behind the scoring of lead guard Taylor Pilot. She finished the contest with a team-high 15 points, six of which came in the third frame. Where SFU struggled from the field, the Red Leafs' physicality also got them to the line several times in the third. SFU was efficient at the charity stripe, knocking down nine of their 11 opportunities in keeping the Warriors' comeback attempts at bay.
 
The hosts got within five points after knocking down the first basket of the fourth quarter, pulling themselves back to a 57-52 ball game.
 
However, the Wisotzkis then went on another personal 10-2 run, punctuated by a dagger of a three from Sophia as SFU created some breathing room in going back up 66-54. The Warriors weren't able to recover, as SFU closed out the contest on another 12-5 run to lock down the win.
 

Both Wisotzki sisters were named to the All-Tournament Team, while junior guard Makenna Gardner of Langley, B.C., was chosen as the Most Valuable Player.
 
Gardner was recognized for her outstanding defensive performance, grabbing 17 rebounds in two games, taking several charges, diving for loose balls, and effectively helping on double teams in the post. She tied a career-high with nine rebounds Saturday.
 
The Red Leafs will get a brief respite next week, with a rare Tuesday home game as they take on the Minnesota State Moorhead Dragons at the West Gym on November 21. The opening tip is set for 2 p.m. and admission to the game is free.
 
SFU will continue its non-conference road trips later in the week. The team will head down to Irvine, California to take on the Concordia (California) Eagles on Friday, November 24, before squaring off against the Point Loma Nazarene Sea Lions on Saturday, November 25.
 
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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