BURNABY, B.C. – A defensive struggle between the Simon Fraser Red Leafs and Seattle Pacific women's basketball teams went the way of the visiting Falcons by a score of 59-48 Thursday night in Burnaby, B.C.

After setting a career high for rebounds in a single game last Saturday with 14, sophomore forward Gemma Cutler of North Vancouver, B.C., grabbed 15 Thursday at the West Gym to go with seven points and three blocks. She came into the week second in NCAA Division II in blocks per game. 

Junior guard / forward Jessica Wisotzki (Langley, B.C.) posted 14 points and six rebounds, while junior guard Grace Killins (Coquitlam, B.C.) contributed 11 points. 

SFU dropped to 9-11 overall this season, and 7-9 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. With Thursday's results from the around the GNAC, the Red Leafs are now in seventh place in the league standings. The conference's top six squads will make the post-season. SPU (13-10, 8-7 GNAC) is currently fourth, while Alaska Anchorage and Northwest Nazarene (both 7-8) are tied for fifth. All three teams have a game in hand on SFU.

Guard Ashley Alter recorded 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Falcons in both categories. She scored 20 of her team's first 21 points, and had 12 of its 21 field goals on the night. SPU shot 36.2 per cent (21 of 58) from the field, 16.7 per cent (2-12) from three, and 71.4 per cent (15-21) on free throws.

"Gemma's rebounding was a huge factor for us," said SFU head coach Bruce Langford. "I think overall, we rebounded fairly well. We got out-rebounded a bit when we got desperate at the end, but up until then, I thought we were pretty good on the boards.

"I thought we prepared really well for SPU, what they like and what they do. The thing they like the most is the back cut, and we drilled it all week on defending it. The very first play, they ran it and got it, and I thought, 'This is not a good sign.' We talked about (Ashley) Alter being the person we needed to stop, and she had 20 of their first 21 points. Our goal was to keep SPU under 60 points or in the low 60s and we did, but we didn't have any crispness to our offence. We had different problems at various phases of the game. Sometimes we shot horridly, without our feet set. We weren't smooth."
 

An Alter layup put the visitors up 12-6 with just over four minutes remaining in the opening quarter. An offensive rebound by senior guard Georgia Swant (North Vancouver, B.C.) on the ensuing possession led to a three-point basket from Wisotzki. After a Falcons' offensive foul, senior forward Sophie Klassen (Chilliwack, B.C.) grabbed an offensive rebound, which eventually led to a Killins layup.

The Red Leafs then drew another offensive foul against SPU to get the ball back. Killins, with just over two minutes left on the clock, hit a three-pointer to finish off an 8-0 run and give Canada's NCAA team a 14-12 lead. Alter answered back with a triple before a Swant jumper concluded the first-quarter scoring with SFU up 16-15.

Neither team led by more than a possession in a low-output second period. The Falcons outscored the hosts 12-10 to lead 27-26 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Natalie Hoff reeled off six points in a row for SPU to stretch the gap to 35-28 with about six minutes left. Wisotzki posted a layup inside the final half-minute to get the Red Leafs to within four points at 39-35. An Alter basket concluded the third quarter, and provided the first two points of a 17-5 run that extended deep into the fourth. 

That surge gave the Falcons a 56-40 lead, their biggest of the night. A Cutler free throw, followed by a Killins steal and layup made it 56-43. Klassen hit a pair of foul shots that got the hosts within 12 (57-45) with just over two minutes to go. Senior guard Emma Kramer (Surrey, B.C.) converted a three in the final moments to round out the scoring.  

The Red Leafs made 14 of 61 field goals for a 23 per cent success rate, including three of 21 (14.3 per cent) from long distance. The team was good on 17 of 21 free throws (81 per cent).

SFU had more bench (18-11), fast-break (7-2) and second-chance points (13-8), but SPU outscored the Red Leafs 34-18 in the paint. The Falcons also had more rebounds (44-41) and points off turnovers (16-10).
 
Klassen, Kramer, and Swant will all be honoured for their contributions to the SFU women's basketball program on Senior Night Saturday at 7 p.m. After the pre-game ceremonies, the Red Leafs will host Montana State Billings (22-4, 13-2 GNAC) at the West Gym.
 
Tickets to the game can be purchased online at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sfu-womens-basketball-vs-montana-state-university-billings-tickets-451200612177
 
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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