The Simon Fraser University Women’s Basketball team suffered a 64–50 defeat to the Central Washington Wildcats this Thursday. The loss drops the Clan to 4–6 on the season overall with a 2-3 GNAC conference record.
Early in the first quarter the Wildcats jumped out to a 19–11 edge on the strength of three consecutive three-point baskets. In the final minute, point guard Ellen Kent drained a three-pointer, and forward Samantha Beauchamp converted one of two free throws to cut the Wildcat lead to 23–17. The Second Quarter saw the Clan execute a nifty fast break where Kent hit forward Rachel Fradgley in stride for the layup. The SFU offence then bogged down, committing three consecutive turnovers prompting a timeout by Head Coach Bruce Langford. Shooting Guard Elisa Homer knocked down a three-pointer to trim the Wildcat lead to five. The Wildcats then scored the last four points of the quarter to hit the locker room up 39–30 at halftime.
The third quarter saw the Clan play their best defensive basketball of the game, limiting the Wildcats to just nine points. With 4:26 left in the quarter Elisa Homer knocked down another three to make the score 43–42. The one-point Central Washington advantage was the closest the Clan would get to taking the lead in the second half.
Other highlights in the quarter were a nifty turnaround jumper in the post by Rachel Fradgley and a smooth runner by Elisa Homer. Central Washington converted a last second jumper to make the score 48–44 for the Wildcats entering the decisive fourth quarter.
In the fourth, SFU was outscored 16–6 despite their determined play. The lack of depth with just eight players on the roster may have been a factor in the poor shooting percentage the team incurred in the last quarter. Reflective of this was the 39 minutes Ellen Kent played in the game. The Clan play a switching style of defence and Kent often found herself matched up with the Wildcat forwards battling for rebounds in the low post. The scrappy floor general hit the court several times in the fourth quarter fighting through screens and competing hard on the defensive end despite getting into early foul trouble.
After the game Kent reflected on the team’s roster size, stating: “I wouldn’t say it is affecting us. [Rather] it is giving a lot of people opportunities.” The difficulty she explained was in practice, where the coaches have had to “bring in other people just to do five on five” team drills. Kent also noted how lack of experience by the young team was a possible factor in the fourth quarter. “We’re a young team, and experience helps in that kind of situation.”
