As the Great Northwest Athletic Conference basketball season heats up, the Simon Fraser University women’s team is in the race for conference supremacy. The very competitive conference that started the 2013-14 season with three nationally ranked teams is as tight as ever heading into week four of play. SFU saw a split weekend at home to wrap up week three, proving without a doubt that the GNAC is still anyone’s for the taking.
The Clan earned an upset victory over No. 18 Northwest Nazarene on Thursday before falling to the 10th place team in the conference, Central Washington, moving to a 3–2 conference record. The split is a perfect example of the battle for a conference title; any team to win on any given day.
The story of the weekend, however, was the play of junior captain Erin Chambers who led her team and all athletes on the floor in both contests. Against the Crusaders the fiery guard/forward combo tallied 25 points, leading her team to a 75–66 victory over the visitors.
Assisting her in the victory was Rebecca Langmead, as the senior had her first double-double of the season. The 6’5” forward used her height to her advantage tallying 15 points and 12 rebounds in the contest to lead all players on the boards.
Katie Lowen and Kia Van Laare each added 11 points as well. It was Van Laare’s sharp-shooting from off the bench that gave the Clan a mid-game rush, as the senior netted back-to-back three-pointers to give the Clan the much needed lead heading into the second half.
After a one day break, the team took to the court Saturday evening against the Wildcats but a lackluster Clan side was only able to hang in during a 63–54 loss, thanks to Chambers’ 32 points — over half of the team’s total. The captain was able to keep her team in the running throughout the game, bringing them within as few as two points.
The Clan women were plagued by the flu, as starters Marie-Line Petit and Langmead saw limited minutes due to illness. Despite playing only 16 minutes, Petit was the Clan’s second highest scorer, but only put up eight points, as the home team fell to the previously 0-5 visitors.
Now moving further along into conference play the team will face the final four competitors in the conference rotation before a rematch with all nine GNAC teams to wrap up the season. Their next match will be against conference leaders, the Saint Martin’s Saints, who are currently 4–1 after an upset over former GNAC leaders, Alaska Anchorage. SFU will face the Seawolves the following weekend as they round out the first set of games.
