Box Score The Simon Fraser Red Leafs (6-21, 4-12 GNAC) fought hard but couldn't get over the hump in the end in a 71-67 home defeat to the Central Washington Wildcats (16-8, 9-6 GNAC).
 
Elliot Dimaculangan had a big-time performance with 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Immanuel Oludele recorded 19 points and six rebounds as he and Dimaculangan combined for 41 of the team's 67 points.
 
Calvin Holden was on fire off the bench for the Wildcats with 25 points on 11-14 shooting. Bradley Swillie put up 15 points and four boards in support.
 
The Red Leafs got off to a hot start, jumping out to an early lead fueled by a pair of triples from Zach Stone. The tides soon turned, however, as after a Dimaculangan dunk made it 12-5 SFU the visitors came roaring back with a 10-0 run to take the lead.
 
Oludele got himself going as the first half wore on, scoring eight straight points for SFU and doing it from all over the court – in the paint, beyond the arc and from the free throw line. The Wildcats again had the answer though, grabbing the lead back and entering halftime up 37-30.
 
SFU started out well in the second half, but after a bucket from Dimaculangan cut the lead to just a single point, the momentum fully shifted in favour of the visitors. A 20-4 run by the Wildcats put their lead at 59-42 with under nine minutes left and the game looked like it could be over.
 
But the Red Leafs didn't quit, and fought back in a furious comeback bid. After a layup by David Penney cut it to single digits, three straight triples from Dimaculangan and Eric Beckett brought SFU to within four points with less than a minute to play.
 
Sadly, that's where the magic ended as the Wildcats made their free throws to close out the game with a 71-67 win.
 
The Red Leafs will be back in action at home once again on Saturday, Feb. 24 against the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in