BURNABY, B.C. – Senior guard / forward Jahmal Wright (Toronto) and sophomore guard Elliot Dimaculangan (Mississauga, Ont.) each scored a dozen points to lead Simon Fraser in a 75-58 Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball loss to the Alaska Nanooks Saturday night in Burnaby, B.C.

Wright also tied sophomore forward Zach Stone (Ottawa) for the team high in rebounds (six) and blocks (two). Sophomore forward Georges Lefebvre (Montreal) also recorded two blocks for the host Red Leafs (6-19, 1-14 GNAC).

Wright, Colten Northrop (Richland, Washington) and Kemo Sonko (Banjul, Gambia) were all honoured on Senior Night in a pre-game ceremony in front of 712 fans at the West Gym. Students from Nestor Elementary School in Coquitlam, B.C., performed both national anthems before tipoff, and entertained the crowd with two songs at halftime.

Forward Nick Hopkins scored 18 points for Alaska (10-12, 5-9 GNAC), while three others also reached double digits in points. The Nanooks got ttwice as many trips to the foul line as the hosts (32-16), and were successful on 26 free throws (81.3 per cent). They shot 46 per cent (23 of 50) from the field, and 33.3 per cent from three (3-9).

The Red Leafs made 21 of 49 field goals (42.9 per cent), including five of 22 (22.7 per cent) from three-point range. They converted 11 of 16 free throws (68.8 per cent).

"We've had great crowds all year," complimented SFU head coach Steve Hanson. "Hats off to Tiffani Martinez and the events staff, they did a great job getting people here. The crowd likes this group. With the number of freshmen we have, some of them have hit the wall physically. Confidence is a little bit low since we've gone on a bit of losing streak. It's been tough. To our credit, we've been really tough on the road, but just not able to finish late. We just haven't had very good first halves all year at home. Part of that is just some leadership and veteran experience we don't have yet. We talk about it as a coaching staff every day."

The Nanooks jumped out to a 9-2 advantage to start the game, forcing SFU to play from behind. Alaska led 28-17 with 7:30 to go in the first half, but the Red Leafs pushed back with a 7-0 run that began with a Wright layup on the fast break. A Stone block later in the half led to a three-point basket from freshman forward Immanuel Oludele (Niagara Falls, Ont.). Then Stone capped off the run, SFU's best of the contest, with a layup. The basket with just over three minutes to go before the half cut the Alaska lead to 28-24.

Alaska scored the first six points of the second half to extend its advantage to 40-26. The gap was still at 14 points with eight minutes remaining. Less than four minutes later, an Oludele three closed the Red Leafs to within seven points at 61-54. However, SFU could not close the deficit any further.

Hanson paid tribute to his team's three seniors, beginning with Sonko, a 6-foot-7 forward.

"Probably about a week before he moved to Canada, Kemo had an ACL tear," said Hanson. "He was told he didn't need surgery, but we found out about five months later it was fully torn. About 15 months later, he came back, and was really excited. He played all off-season. And in mid-September, he tore it in a players-only scrimmage. It is extremely tough when you go through that. Kemo came here to get his education so it's really great to see him on track to graduate next year."

Sonko would like to own a software company, and describes his experience on Burnaby Mountain as amazing.

"My time here has gone by so fast," he said. "I remember being a freshman, and now, I'm already senior. I'm really grateful for the opportunity to be here at SFU, and to be part of the team. I really appreciate the love my teammates and coaches have shown me. I really hope to give back as much as I can to the men's basketball program. As much as they have given me, I want to give back to them."
 

Sonko arrived at SFU in 2019, the same year as Northrop, a 6-4 guard. Both showed tremendous character and resilience in pushing through adversity to complete their university education and contribute to the Red Leafs men's basketball program.

"Colten played in the pre-season last year and three games down in California," commented Hanson. "We knew a little bit about his hip when he came here. His hip is so bad, it would need replacement surgery if he continued to do anything athletic. That's really tough to do at 21. Both Kemo and Colten were great culture guys for us. They made every practice, they're at every lift. They really mentored the younger guys in the classroom."

"I've been through a couple of Senior Nights, but it always hits different when it is your own," said Northrop, who is working on a career as a data analyst. "It makes you reflect on all the memories you've made, and the relationships you've built. You don't always realize how much value relationships really have until you're about to step away. I'm going to miss the team environment, and the feeling of a family around me 24/7. That's going to be tough but the good thing is the relationships I've built are life-long ones. I'm really looking forward to keeping in touch with all my guys."
 

Wright came to SFU after completing his Sociology degree at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

"It seems like yesterday we were recruiting Jahmal on Zoom and now he's going, so time has just flown by," said Hanson. "He's gone from a young guy to a leader on our team this year, so it is great to see. He's played his heart out this year. It's great to see it means a lot to these guys."

Wright will finish his Master's Degree in Liberal Studies later this year.

"I pictured this day coming but because of all the resets I've had, it is kind of surreal to me at this point," remarked Wright. "There is a feeling of happiness. Sad to leave my teammates but happy that I feel like I left them with a lot of information and positivity to bring to the team next year. Every game was a lesson that was learned, whether it was a win or loss. Going across the continent from Maryland to British Columbia was a unique experience, and one I definitely didn't take for granted. We got to travel to so many places and see so many different things. It was an unforgettable experience. I loved every moment of it and I can't wait to see what is next."
 

SFU has three road games remaining in the regular season, all on the road. The Red Leafs are at Central Washington Thursday and Northwest Nazarene Saturday.
 
For the latest information on SFU Athletics, visit athletics.sfu.ca. You can also find us on social media at @SFU_Athletics.
 
#RepTheLeaf