An apology, for at the time of writing, the Clan women’s basketball team’s post-season has yet to be finished. However, with one playoff victory in the books, the Clan have already made history. With their 69–61 victory over the Seattle Pacific University Falcons on Thursday night, the Clan have recorded the team’s first-ever NCAA playoff victory, and are the first Canadian team to ever win an NCAA playoff game.
The team never trailed, but as has been the case all year long, someone new stepped up with so much on the line. It had been Chelsea Resit in the past, along with the continued impressive outings from Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe and Kristina Collins, but this time, Carla Wyman emerged to help the team make history.
“Carla had one of the best games of her career,” said head coach Bruce Langford. It couldn’t have come at a better time.
Wyman finished second on the team in both points (16) and rebounds (seven), but her biggest play unquestionably came with under 90 seconds to play. With the Clan up by just four points, the third-year guard hit a three-pointer to put the team up seven with time running out.
“I had an open look and I just took it,” said a very matter-of-fact Wyman. She may have played it off, but there was no denying the magnitude of her shot that punctuated the Clan’s late lead. SFU would only
build on that lead to earn themselves a bout with top-ranked Alaska Anchorage.
Raincock-Ekunwe had already rewritten history with a GNAC-record 22 double-doubles in the regular season, and she was her usual dominant self against Seattle Pacific as well. She finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, and along with Wyman was the driving force of the Clan’s historic effort.
“We knew we had a chance to advance in a lose-and-you’re-out situation,” said Wyman. “it was a bit of a roller coaster game but we ended up pulling it off.”
With barely 24 hours to turn around and take on the GNAC’s top team, it’s easy to understand how the significance of the win could be lost on the team; they’ve not been a team to pay attention to stats and records, either. Nevertheless, the Clan have made history, in a couple different ways. They’ve set the bar high for next season, but with almost their entire team returning, there’s not much stopping this squad from being next year’s Alaska Anchorage.
