BURNABY, B.C. – The SFU Red Leafs were on the unfortunate end of a second-half comeback Friday night, as the host Regis Rangers clawed their way out of a 17-point deficit, eventually taking a 64-59 decision at the Thanksgiving Classic men's basketball tournament in Denver.
 
SFU (2-6) was physically dominant in the first half, getting to the paint seemingly at will and forcing the Rangers (2-2) into early foul issues. SFU's aggression saw them get to the line 15 times in the opening frame, and the Red Leafs knocked down 13 as they raced out to a 42-27 lead by the break.
 
SFU's first-half performance also saw them shoot an excellent 13 of 21 (61.9 per cent) from the field, including 3 of 6 from three-point range. Red Leafs guard Elliot Dimaculangan notched a team-high 19 points on the day, 11 of which came in that dominant first half. The junior guard from Mississauga, Ont., also grabbed a half-dozen rebounds.
 
A layup by sophomore centre Sasha Vujisic (Burnaby, B.C.) put SFU ahead 51-34 with just over 14 minutes to go, but the hosts rallied from there.
 
Regis posted 37 second-half points and forced 18 turnovers after the mid-game break en route to the double-digit comeback. Chase Mayo Harmon led the Rangers with a game-high 21 points, including a clutch final bucket with just three seconds left, making stretching Regis' late lead to five and sealing the win.
 
The Red Leafs converted 6 of 23 shots from the field in the final 20 minutes. Vujisic recorded a team- and career-high eight rebounds. Freshman forward Matthys Van Bylandt (North Vancouver, B.C.) posted 11 points and three steals.
 
SFU will take on undefeated Metro State of Denver (5-0) Saturday afternoon. The Roadrunners are 15th in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches NCAA Division II rankings and 18th in the D2CSC Poll. The opening tip-off is set for 2 p.m. PT.

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