The SFU women’s basketball team is officially on fire. Heading into Saturday night with four straight wins, there was a sense that something amazing could happen when they hosted the undefeated Northwest Nazarene University Nighthawks. It did. Behind an incredible fourth-quarter comeback, the Clan were able to pull off one of the upsets of the season on home court.
SFU did a good job of keeping the game close during the first quarter. While they struggled with their shot early, their defence kept them in the game. A buzzer beater three-pointer from Jessica Jones to end the quarter put the score at 18–17 heading into the break.
The Nighthawks were able to seperate themselves in the second quarter, however, scoring an impressive 26 points in the frame. While SFU were hitting some shots of their own, they were unable to keep up to their opponents offence, and saw themselves down 44–36 heading into the half.
NNU would win their third straight quarter in the third, this time by a score of 17–16. This set up a tough fourth quarter for SFU: stuck nine and facing the best team in the conference.
They were not fazed.
Jones particularly was up to the challenge. After hitting a three to start the quarter, she hit another three a minute later, before finishing off a fastbreak with a layup. Less than a minute later, she hit another three, than a mid-range jump shot. She scored 13 of the Clan’s first 14 points in the quarter, single-handedly giving the team a three point lead.
Everybody started to get in on the action, and the Clan led for the final 7:40 of the game, shocking their undefeated opponents. By the time the final buzzer had gone, SFU had outscored NNU 24–12 in the final quarter.
While the win marks the Nighthawks’ first loss of the season, it also extends the Clan’s win streak to five games. SFU is still tied for third in the GNAC with Central Washington University with a 7–3 conference record.
Peak player of the game: Jessica Jones
No question about it, Jones put her team on her back and carried the game during their 16–2 run to start the fourth. Without her performance to start the frame, the team would likely be looking back on a loss right now.
She finished the game with 20 points, including four threes.
What’s next:
The team will continue its home stand when they host both Alaska teams next week. First off is the 0–10 University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks on Thursday, January 31 at 7 p.m. Next, the team plays a big game against the now-conference-leading 9–1 University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves on Saturday, February 2 at 7 p.m. Can the team extend the streak to seven games? Tune in to find out.
[…] SFU women’s basketball pull off incredible upset win over Northwest Nazarene University […]