BURNABY, B.C. – Junior guard Elliot Dimaculangan (Mississauga, Ont.) led the SFU men's basketball team with a strong 18-point performance on Saturday afternoon, but the Red Leafs lost 73-61 at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference-leading Montana State Billings Yellowjackets.
 
The Red Leafs (2-14, 0-5 GNAC) converted on 41.5 per cent of their attempts from the field and 34.5 per cent at the three-point line. However, SFU turned over the ball 17 times to 10 for MSUB (12-4, 6-0 GNAC). The Yellowjackets turned those errors into 18 points throughout the contest. MSUB also consistently found ways to score in transition, posting 14 fast-break points to two for SFU.
 
Sophomore forward Zach Stone (Ottawa) recorded nine points and team highs in rebounds (eight) and blocks (three). He now has a half-dozen blocks in his last two contests.
 
After trailing by as many as 13 in the first half, SFU clawed their way back into striking distance by the mid-way point of the second. After sophomore guard Terique Brown (Georgetown, Ont.) got the MSUB lead down to just five with a layup, Dimaculangan hit a brilliant three-ball, one of his four treys on the afternoon. Suddenly, with just under 13 minutes left, SFU trailed by just two at 41-39.
 

With the Red Leafs down just 56-53 on the heels of a Stone free throw, Zharon Richmond had a two-play sequence to build up the Yellowjackets' lead once more. After hitting a tough layup in tight and an SFU turnover, Richmond knocked down a triple to get MSUB back up by eight. While Dimaculangan replied with a three on the ensuing possession, the hosts made 10 of 12 foul shots inside the final three minutes to clinch the victory.
 
The Red Leafs are back at West Gym next week, as they welcome the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks on Thursday, January 18 and the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves on Saturday, January 20. Both games are slated to tip off at 7 p.m.
 
Tickets:
Jan. 18: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sfu-mens-basketball-vs-university-of-alaska-tickets-727830108447
Jan. 20: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sfu-mens-basketball-vs-university-of-alaska-anchorage-tickets-727838814487

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