SFU conference struggles continue with two losses on home court

By Bryan Scott
Photos by Vaikunthe Banerjee

After winning their first conference game of the season, the Clan were back in action for a pair of home games last week. They hosted the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves and then the Seattle Pacific Falcons.

In their first game, the Clan came out firing on all cylinders. They built an early five-point lead in the first part of the half, leading 14–9 after a Dillon Hamilton three-point shot. The Seawolves battled back to tie the game at 18, only to have to Clan regain the lead with a 7–0 run. Unfortunately for SFU, that lead would dissolve over the next few minutes. The game was tied at 25 with just under eight minutes remaining in the half when the Clan ran out of steam. The Seawolves built up a 10-point lead by the end of the half, heading into the dressing room with a 44–34 advantage over the Clan.

As per usual the Clan were good off the bench in second half, outscoring the Seawolves 18–7. It was not enough, as the Clan fell further and further behind. They pushed the deficit to 22 points with 8:50 remaining in the game. They didn’t give up much ground after that, taking the game, 86–66.

Elijah Matthews led the Clan with 12 points and four rebounds in 31 minutes of playing time. Despite the loss, Matthews felt good about the fan turnout. “Playing at home gives us more confidence,” said Matthews. “We had a great crowd here tonight and we know our fans are behind us. If they keep supporting us, we won’t let them down,” he said after the game.

Their second game of the week was forgettable. The Falcons were too strong for the Clan. The game began with a 9–2 run by SPU, but the Clan managed
to pull it within two by the six minute mark. Over the next ten minutes of the game, SFU tried to regain footing but found themselves down by nine at halftime, 39–30.

SPU was better than the Clan when they came out of the locker room for the remainder of the game. The Clan were outscored 51–26 in the second half. They were beat in the paint and the Falcon’s players were better off the bench as well. In the end, the Clan lost their ninth conference game of the season, and fell to 6–12 on the season.