BURNABY, B.C. – A three-point attempt from senior guard Grace Killins (Coquitlam, B.C.) didn't fall at the final buzzer and the Simon Fraser Red Leafs women's basketball team lost 61-60 to visiting Northwest Nazarene Thursday night at the West Gym.
 
With just 1.4 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, SFU (9-8, 1-3 GNAC) inbounded the ball to Killins, who grabbed the pass and got past her defender to fire off a shot from the top of the three-point arc. However, the attempt hit the back rim and the glass before falling away.
 
Jessica Wisotzki (Langley, B.C.) led the Red Leafs in scoring with 15 points. The senior guard/forward added seven rebounds and three blocks. She has seven blocks in her last two games. Starting her fourth consecutive contest, rookie guard Rachel Loukes of Prince George, B.C., led the team with nine rebounds, and posted career highs in points (12), field goals (five) and blocks (two).
 
Killins and junior guard Sophia Wisotzki (Langley, B.C.) contributed 10 points apiece. Junior guards Arman Dulai (Surrey, B.C.) and Makenna Gardner (Langley, B.C.) had six rebounds each. Gardner also posted four steals and four assists.
 
"There are a lot of good things to take out of this game," Gardner said. "We worked hard at figuring out how to play without Gemma Cutler, whose absence takes us out of our normal rotations. Some players stepped up tonight, which was awesome to see. Some things didn't go our way in the end, which is unfortunate, but there's a lot to learn from today, and we'll have to rebound on Saturday."
 
Gardner had compliments for Loukes.
 
"Every game, you can see her confidence growing, which is awesome," Gardner remarked. "Rachel is quick and a great blocker who works hard so it is nice to have her on the floor and see her getting into her game."
 
The Nighthawks (6-6, 3-2 GNAC) of Nampa, Idaho, escaped with the victory by finishing the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball game with a 10-2 run.
 
A closely contested first half ended with the Red Leafs ahead 27-23. The largest gap between the teams in the opening 20 minutes came after a Dulai layup put SFU up 26-19 with just over two and a half minutes on the clock.
 
The Red Leafs came out strong after the break, scoring the first six points of the third quarter. Jessica Wisotzki's layup and free throw early in the period stretched the game to 33-23. Her three-point basket later in the third restored SFU's double-digit advantage at 41-31.
 

Canada's NCAA team also posted the first half-dozen points of the fourth to go back up by 10. Once again, it was Jessica Wisotzki, who made a layup to make it 50-40. The Red Leafs were still ahead 54-44 with about three minutes remaining, but the Nighthawks fought their way back to tie the score on a three-pointer from Madeline Gebers with 26 seconds left. After stealing the ball back on the next possession, NNU drew a foul with 1.9 seconds to go. Cami Knishka made just one of two free throws, but it was enough for the victory.
 
The hosts shot 34.5 per cent from the field (19 of 55), 25 per cent from the three-point line (4 of 16) and 69.2 per cent (18 of 26) on free throws. The Nighthawks were slightly worse in each category: 32.9 per cent (24-73) on field goals, 20 per cent on attempts from distance (5-25) and 53.3 per cent at the foul line (8-15).
 
Despite playing without junior forward Gemma Cutler (North Vancouver, B.C.), who is third in NCAA Division II in blocks, SFU out-rebounded NNU 50-44.
 
The Red Leafs will look to rebound Saturday at 7 p.m., when they host the Central Washington Wildcats at the West Gym. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/681852397877

- with files from Eitan Waisfeld

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