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2016–17 season one to remember for SFU women’s basketball

By
EIC
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It truly was a season to remember for SFU women’s basketball — arguably the program’s best-ever in the NCAA era.

 

The team finished with a 26-8 record, 10 wins the better than the season before and one win better than the previous record of 25 set back in 2013. They also advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the national tournament for the first time back in 2013.

 

“One of our goals was to try and get better everyday, and I mean in reflection, and you have to be happy being in the sweet sixteen,” said head coach Bruce Langford. “It’s better than a lot of people thought we would do. [. . .]  [However,] when you’re that close and you have a few little things that could have gone either way, you kind of have a ‘what if’ feeling to it.”

 

The team started the season with a tough non-conference schedule, where SFU played against some of the best teams out of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. They came away from it with just one loss, the first game against, ironically enough, California Baptist.

 

“I think they gave us a lot,” said Langford when asked if these early wins gave the team confidence. “More importantly they got us into nationals. The way that teams are selected are based upon the team’s record but also the team’s desire to go out and seek competition and play quality games.

 

“We went out and played the Pomonas, the Academy of Arts, the Cal Baptists [. . .] That put us in nationals as long as we didn’t have a brutal season. So, we were in nationals two and a half weeks before the season ended.”

 

Before the last two and a half weeks, SFU was 14–3 and looking like a team to be reckoned with.

 

In those last weeks, however, the team’s form started to slip a bit. The Clan lost three of the last five games, and looked like the team was in trouble heading into the biggest games of the season.

 

Langford didn’t see it like that.

 

“I think those things are very misleading,” he explained. “We lost to the second-ranked team [Alaska Anchorage] in the country in a game we were up by 10. We lost to the ninth-ranked team [Western Washington] in the country in a game we were up 10.

 

“We lost a game by one point at the buzzer [to Central Washington] that we should have won when we lost our leading scorer and rebounder in the first part of the game — to a team that won eight of their last nine games.

 

“It wasn’t disappointing. I thought it gave us good rest heading into regionals.”

 

The rest seemed to work wonders, as SFU looked like a completely different team in the West Regional tournament. They beat UC San Diego 69–65 before pulling off the upset of the tournament in defeating Alaska Anchorage 80–70.

 

“It’s a hell of an accomplishment,” said Langford on defeating the Seawolves. [. . .] Now, we’ve beaten them three times — in their gym — which is phenomenal. That’s unbelieveable, that team is really good. We took 1,700 people, who were screaming and yelling, to silence with four minutes left. It’s unbelieveable.”

 

Unfortunately they weren’t able to continue their run, losing 77–64 to California Baptist the following round. Both teams in that game shot 37.1% from the field — the main difference was the Lancers hit 22 free throws. SFU, only five.

 

Next Season

 

Looking forward, the team has some big holes in the lineup to fill, and none are bigger than the one Ellen Kett leaves. The team captain and starting point guard led the team in minutes per game (33.7), three-point shooting percentage (.431), and free throw shooting percentage (.840).

 

She also led all of Division II in assists with 262, and assists per game with 7.7. She will likely go down as one of the best players SFU has ever had in the NCAA era.

 

“I think she ranks up there,” said Langford on where Kett ranks amongst the best of the program’s history. “I think she’s a player who got better every year and had the right attitude about getting better and fixing her weaknesses.

 

“She couldn’t shoot a free throw two years ago; she led our team in free throw shooting this year. Three years ago she couldn’t shoot a three, and last year she almost led the nation in three-point shooting percentage. [. . .] So, I think she ranks right up there amongst our people who continually worked on their game to try and improve it.”

 

Needless to say, finding a replacement won’t be an easy task. But perhaps that player is Tayler Drynan. In her freshman season, she played mostly with Ellen instead of replacing her — especially near the end of the season. She showed flashes of brilliance, but that was in limited minutes.

 

“She has to, because Ellen won’t be here,” said Langford when asked if she can replace Kett. “Tayler Drynan has an awful lot of offensive skill. She has to be able to defend. She needs to get stronger, she needs to work on her quickness, and I think she wants it and will step up to it.”

 

Another big loss will be Meg Wilson. The Clan’s leading scorer and rebounder during the season, she provided a well-rounded game that allowed her to be used in all situations.

 

When Wilson was Injured in the game against Central Washington, Sophie Swant slotted into the starting lineup and was one of the main reasons the team went on the run they did. She had 17 and 18 points in the first two games of the regional tournament — both were season highs at the time.

 

While I’m sure the coaching staff would have loved to have Wilson available to them, it gave an opportunity for Swant to audition for a starting role for next season — and she ran with it.

 

“If Sophie was to dedicate and devote herself to basketball in a way that she could, her potential is extremely high,” said Langford. “Her ball-handling skills aren’t very good, if she can make that better that would be be unbelieveable. If she played a little more basketball that would improve her basketball IQ.

 

“She’s got room for growth, but she’s got a lot of potential.”

 

Redshirt junior Elisa Homer will not be returning next season to start pursuing her future career in business. The two redshirts from this season — Jessica Jones and Claudia Hart — are both expected to play “significant roles” next season according to Langford. Ozi Nwabuko, after hitting a bit of a slump down the stretch, should have a better, more consistent year next season.

 

The program has three verbal commitments for next season, but aren’t expected to jump in and be big contributors like this year’s class.

 

“I think this year’s class will come in and have a chance to grow,” said Langford on the potential new players. “One of them is a very good athlete, one of them is a very tenacious rebounder, [but is] coming off knee surgery. I think they will come in and fit.”

 

In all, the future for SFU women’s basketball looks bright. If the freshmen from this year’s class, such as Tayler Drynan and Ozi Nwabuko, can improve and replace key contributors like Ellen Kett, there should be no reason why there would be a drop off.

Peak Sports Challenge: Penalty Shootout with Adam Jones

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Peak Web
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On this week’s Peak Sports Challenge, our Sports Editor, Nick Bondi goes up against Adam Jones. Last season in men’s soccer, Adam took home the award for GNAC Player of the Year.

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SFU swimming deliver standout performances at NCAA Championship

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Peak Web
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The swim team had a successful weekend in Birmingham, Alabama, where it took part in the NCAA championship. When talking to head coach Liam Donnelly, he said that, “On the men’s side, we scored more points overall, and placed higher, than was predicted by the incoming rankings.” Similarly, on the women’s side, the team “improved our rank and total points from last season.”

 

The standout performers for SFU at this year’s competition were Adrian VanderHelm, Mackenzie Hamill, and Jessie Gibson. They all had multiple all-American honours, which is given when you place in the top eight at the Championship.

 

On day one, VanderHelm beat the previous SFU record (1:47.07) for the 200-yard individual medley (IM), which he set last year, with a career-best time of 1:46.05. On day two, VanderHelm destroyed his ranking of 15th to finish second in the 400-yard IM with a time of 3:48.07. This time makes him the third-fastest swimmer in that event in NCAA Division II history. He would go on to finish with four all-American swims.

 

Hamill finished third in the 1000-yard freestyle on day one of the tournament, swimming a 9:05.80 in the morning heats. He went on to pick up his second all-American honour later in the Championship, when he raced a 4:27.18 in the 500-yard freestyle. He also finished fourth in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 15:17.58. He would end the Championship with four all-American swims and three new SFU records.

 

Also finishing with an all-American honour for the men’s side was SFU junior Tim Woinoski. He finished sixth, right behind Hamill, in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 15:26.89.

 

For the females, Gibson (who was competing in her first NCAA Championship) was the top performer with two all-American swims. She finished fifth in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 54.36 in the finals. She also placed fourth in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:59.63. This time makes her the first woman in SFU history to swim under the two-minute barrier in this event.

 

When asked about what these all-American performances mean for the program, coach Donnelly responded with: “The all American level is the focus of our preparation. The swimmers that perform at this level had trained hard and competed at a high level with consistency throughout the year.”  

 

Even with the team’s great performance, coach Donnelly was not surprised, saying, “We were expecting strong, consistent, and competitive performances throughout the meet.” Even with 20 new NCAA records and improvements across the events, the Simon Fraser swim team was still able to reach their goal of “[moving] up competitively.” The team moved forward from their ranking coming in, and should be happy with the results.

 

But even coach Donnelly had to admit that VanderHelm’s 400-yard IM race could not be expected, saying, “Perhaps Adrian moving from a 15th place ranking to finish second with the third-fastest time in NCAA Division II history is a touch surprising — but we knew he could do well in the event.”

Clan track and field team impresses at NCAA Division II Championship

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Peak Web
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Simon Fraser enjoyed a successful weekend at the NCAA Division II Championship in Birmingham, Alabama over this past weekend. They left the competition with a total of four all-American honours from Addy Townsend and Vladislav Tsygankov, with Paige Nock and Ella Brown both coming very close to adding to the total. Competitors are given all-American honours when they finish top eight in a Championship event.

 

“[I’m] really happy with the team’s performance,” said coach Brit Townsend regarding her thoughts on how they performed, “We had a pretty young team, and they were there focused and ready to compete.”

 

In the 800m, Townsend had a career-best time of 2:08.38 and finished fourth. This was the highest place for any Simon Fraser athlete at the competition. She also was part of the Clan’s 1200m distance medley relay team in which they placed sixth with a time of 3:29.45. Joining her on the team were Paige Nock, Chantel Desch, and Alana Mussatto.

 

When asked about how she felt about her daughter’s performance, coach Townsend responded with, “Obviously I’m proud of her, but she really earns it, she works day in, day out.” She continued, “She does all the little things she needs to do to be able to perform: she watches what she eats, she recovers properly, [and she never misses a run]. For her to run personal-best performances in all three days was really special.”

 

Nock just barely missed grabbing all-American honours individually as she ran 4:48.31 (the exact same time as her personal best) in the women’s 1600m. This placed her at ninth in the event, just one spot away from all-American.

 

Also coming close was Ella Brown, who placed 13th in the triple jump with a distance of 12.02m. This distance was a bit under the 12.14m she jumped at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships a few weeks ago.

 

For the men, Tsygankov, a junior, became the first Simon Fraser male to ever take home double all-American honours. The way he did it, however, was even more impressive. Between competing in the long jump, Tsygankov crossed the track to compete in the 400m and raced his way to the final.

 

He would finish the 400m with a personal-best time of 48.39, taking seventh place and all-American honours, after similarly taking seventh place and an all-American finish in the long jump.

 

With only one senior on the roster, the experience the track and field teamed gained at this competition is valuable going forward.

 

Coach Townsend is positive about that future, and said, “I’m excited because we had a lot of people on the bubble [. . .] so it just shows we are raising our level of performance to be able to compete in NCAA. [. . .] Our next step is, those who are very close, we need to make sure that they get there.”  

 

She also added, “The experience they get at an event like this, just learning to be composed and be able to get everything out of yourself that you’ve been training for [. . .] can be a challenge in your first time there, but now they’ve had the experience.”  

 

The track and field team will next compete in the dual meet with UBC starting March 25 on Terry Fox Field in Burnaby. Coach Townsend and the team are also focused on the Stanford Invitational and San Francisco State Distance Carnival, which will both be taking place March 31–April 1. The Simon Fraser track and field team will be trying to reach national standards at these meets.

 

For Talor Mykle-Winkler and Soroush Jafary, SFU rugby is like family

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Peak Web
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By: Craig Wright

 

With SFU’s prowess as Canada’s NCAA team well-documented, it can be easy to forget that a number of different university sports teams call Burnaby mountain home. One such group of athletes, SFU rugby, is looking to make their mark on a regional level in 2017.

 

A sport that has seen Canada feature on the world stage, rugby still faces a fight for attention on domestic soil, battling with football, soccer, and hockey amongst others for column inches and public attention. So how did Talor Mykle-Winkler, a third-year prop forward for the SFU women’s team, come to find herself involved in the sport?

 

“I started in high school because my dad played rugby,” said Mykle-Winkler.

 

“It’s a lot of fun. You don’t really need much equipment, and it’s a sport pretty much anyone can play, regardless of body size or how fast you can run — there’s a position for everyone.”

Like Mykle-Winkler, men’s team flanker Soroush Jafary found himself picking up an oval ball in high school.

 

“I fell in love with the sport,” he said. “Rugby is a tough sport; it’s all about intensity and determination. What attracts me the most about rugby is that it challenges me not just physically, but mentally.”

 

While not currently under the umbrella of the NCAA, the carrot of joining the university’s elite sporting program is a tantalizing one for SFU rugby. Jafary believes that making the step up could be the key to taking the Clan to the next level.

 

“Playing a varsity sport provides an athlete with a higher level of competition. There are SFU students who are currently playing for other rugby clubs in the Lower Mainland. If we can provide them with the opportunity to choose their classes earlier than other students, or offer them athletic scholarships, they will be more interested to play for their own school.”

 

For Mykle-Winkler, the lack of recognition for the SFU rugby program, both in and outside of the university community, is one which clearly irks the third-year. However, she prefers to instead focus on the benefits of being a part of the club.

 

“I feel like we’re in a league that has good competition, so I feel good with where we’re at,” she said.

 

“Knowing it’s a sport that anyone can play, it does kind of suck when people don’t know there’s a team up here. I’ve talked to people who were like, ‘Oh, SFU has a rugby team? I didn’t know that.’ So it’d be nice to be more well-known, but at the same time there’s a lot of support both from within the club and from the alumni of the club.”

 

As touched on by Mykle-Winkler, the club’s alumni are a major part of the continued success of the program. It’s a connection that both she and Jafary acknowledge as a key part of the club’s identity.

 

“It’s really nice to have that alumni connection,” said Mykle Winkler. “It’s a really tight-knit community and club.”

 

Jafary agreed, stating, “The alumni are this club’s most loyal supporters. They are great role models for current students and we continue to benefit from their skills and experience.”

 

On the pitch, it’s been a successful start to the 2017 campaign for the men’s team, as they sit second in BC Rugby Division III after three wins and a draw from their opening four matches. It’s a fact made all the more remarkable after a disrupted preparation for the season due to the heavy snowfall experienced in the area in January and February.

 

However, the team adapted, as Jafary noted, “We have been unlucky with the weather. We spent a lot of time in the gym to maintain our fitness level when the outdoor fields were not available,” said the fourth-year.

 

For the women’s side, the format of the league is slightly different, as Mykle-Winkler explained,

“Our league is broken into semester[s] — the first half of the league is in first semester, and the second is in the spring. There’s been some delays and cancellations because of the snow, but we’re underway again now.”

 

The weather was the least of the concerns for the women’s team, however, as they had to contend with the loss of their new team kit.

 

“Over the summer, we’d just got new jerseys from donations by sponsors and alumni. A car got broken into and they all got stolen,” said Mykle-Winkler. “Thankfully we managed to replace them — we had a fundraiser and got the money we needed.”

 

So what are the aims for the remainder of the season for the club? For Mykle-Winkler, it’s a fairly simple goal.

 

“Last year we dropped down a division [from the Premier Division to Division I], so this year we don’t really want to be losing — we want to be competing amongst the high-level Division I teams.”

 

It’s a similar story for Jafary, who added, “I think we are all aiming to win the league this year. However, my main goal as a senior student is to lead the younger players to work harder on the field and manage their time better off the field.”

 

With a strong club behind them and a group of enthusiastic and committed players, it certainly seems like both Mykle-Winkler and Jafary are in a pretty good position to achieve their respective goals in 2017. One thing is for certain though — if they don’t, it won’t be for a lack of trying.

 

Fun Fact:

What was the last song you listened to?

Mykle-Winkler: “Umm [. . .] It was ‘Back in My Arms Tonight’ by Nathan Bonnes”

Jafary: “J.Cole’s ‘Change’”

 

Weekly News Round-Up: March 6th – 10th, 2017

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Peak Web
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Peak Speak: What Category Would You Add to The Oscars?

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Peak Web
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On this week’s episode of Peak Speak, we ask students what awards category they would include in the Oscars.

Morgan Smith places fourth at NCAA nationals, earns all-American honours

By
EIC
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Morgan Smith has added his name to the list of Clan wrestlers who have achieved all-American status. By taking fourth this weekend at 197lbs, he has become just the third Clan wrestler to earn all-American honours since SFU joined the NCAA.

 

Smith started the tournament well, taking down Terrance Fanning in a convincing 12–7 victory to start the tournament. After that, he lost a close match in the quarter-finals to Luke Cramer of Ashland. Holding a lead with just 13 seconds on the clock, Smith made a costly mistake that took him out of the championship hunt.

 

It is easy for any athlete to let an early loss affect the rest of their tournament, but Smith did not let that happen. He immediately bounced back with an 8–4 decision to clinch all-American status. He followed up that performance with a decision and major decision over Joe Gomez and Evan Ramos respectively. Gomez placed second at last year’s tournament.

 

In the battle for third place, Smith fell to Cramer once again, this time 5–2 in a tense match. That match ended Smith’s season, his best to date. He finished with a 34–7 record while placing fourth at the national tournament.

 

Most impressively, he did so on an injured knee.

 

“It was tough, especially when doctors tell you that you shouldn’t compete,” Smith said. “But I wasn’t going to let my season go to waste over something that is just painful, not debilitating.”

 

Toughness has never been an issue for Smith, who is known as one of the hardest working athletes in the wrestling room. After failing to qualify for the national tournament in back-to-back years, Smith was finally able to do so, and walk away with all-American status while doing it. Despite the change in results, he said he did not change his gameplan.

 

“I don’t think I did anything differently,” said Smith. “I just continued to try new methods and have stuck to my principles of hard work and innovation.”

 

For athletes like Smith, who are known to be hard-working and talented, finding success like this is only a matter of time. “It feels great,” he said about his success at the national tournament. “I think everyone should set a goal for themselves based on what they determine as success, and for me, it was to be an all-American. Now that I have been there and experienced how close I was to being a finalist, I can use that as motivation and knowledge to win it all next year.”

 

Most people would take a break after such a long, gruelling season. For Smith, the ending of his collegiate season simply marks the beginning of another season. “I’m taking this week off, and then training for the US Open and other freestyle tournaments this summer,” Smith said.

 

This was the final tournament of the season for Clan wrestlers. However, they will be active at the senior level in national and international tournaments coming up. The US Open will take place from April 27–29, and will feature some of the best international wrestlers from around the world. After receiving all-American status, Smith knows he can compete at that level.

The Peak’s March Madness preview

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Peak Web
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Round of 64 predicted upsets

East:

(12) UNC Wilmington over (5) Virginia:

After giving fourth-seeded Duke a scare last year, UNC Wilmington will be looking to make it to the round of 32. As a team that lives and dies by the three-ball with four players averaging at least 3.7 three point attempts per game, a hot night from outside the ark could be enough to pull off the upset.  

West:

(14) Florida Gulf Course over (3) Florida State:

“Dunk city” returns, who famously made it to the sweet 16 as a 15th-seed in 2013. Florida State is certainly the favourite, but this Eagles team could be better than the one that ruined everybody’s brackets a few years ago.

(10) VCU over (7) Saint Mary’s:

March Madness games always seem to turn out ugly, which fits much more to the play style of VCU than Saint Mary’s. This shouldn’t be considered much of an upset, it’s more just a bad matchup for Saint Mary’s who will have a hard time keeping their rhythm.

Midwest:

(11) Rhode Island over (6) Creighton:

Creighton losing point guard Maurice Watson Jr. with an ACL tear makes this a lot more even matchup than the seedings may convey. Rhode Island has won eight in a row and defends the three-point line exceptionally well, negating Creighton’s biggest strength.

South:

(12) Middle Tennessee over (5) Minnesota:

After upsetting Michigan State last year, Middle Tennessee is back and is another good pick for the 12 vs. 5 upset that always seems to happen. Reggie Upshaw and Giddy Potts both return to the bright lights of the tournament and will be looking to ruin more brackets.

(10) Wichita State over (7) Dayton:

I almost didn’t include this as an upset, because I actually think Wichita State should be the favourite in this game. Book this one.

Round of 32 most notable predictions

East:

(6) SMU over (3) Baylor:

Baylor’s zone is what makes them such a tough team to play against, however, SMU has faced very well against zone defenses this year. Just looking at the matchup, SMU should be a team that Baylor struggles against.

West:

(5) Notre Dame over (4) West Virginia:

West Virginia lives off of turnovers, but will be facing the team that converts the least percentage of turnovers per possession. Notre Dame is one of the worst matchups that West Virginia could face in this tournament, and should be able to deal with their press with ease.

Midwest:

(7) Michigan over (2) Louisville:

Michigan fits the narrative for the type of team that gives Louisville trouble. The Cardinals struggle against teams with an efficient offense, and Michigan ranks fifth in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency. It’s hard to bet against Louisville, but this matchup screams potential upset.

South

(10) Wichita State over (2) Kentucky:

I’ve gone back and forth over this one a lot. KenPom.com’s analytics have Wichita State as the eighth-best team in the country, and Kentucky as the fourth. While Kentucky will be favourited, I believe that Wichita State will be able to pull off the upset and prove it deserved a higher seed.

Sweet 16 Notable Predictions:

(6) SMU over (2) Duke:

Another two-seed that I have going down early. This isn’t anything against Duke, just me going with the hottest team entering the tournament. SMU has won 16 straight, 26 of its last 27, and is coming off winning the American Athletic Conference Championship.

Elite Eight:

(6) SMU over (1) Villanova:

The hardest part of creating a bracket is picking the team that “doesn’t belong” which makes it to the Final Four. Last year it was Syracuse as a 10th seed, the year before it was Michigan State as a seventh seed, the year before Connecticut and Kentucky faced off in the final as seventh and eighth seeds, and so on. This year I’m going with SMU, partly because they are coming into the tournament so hot and partly because of the difficulty of making the Final Four the year after winning the tournament for Villanova. Other teams that I want to put into the Final Four as sleeper picks are Michigan and Wichita State.

(2) Arizona over (1) Gonzaga:

This should be one of the best games of the tournament. On one hand, Gonzaga has played incredible basketball throughout the year, ranking as the number one team in the country using KenPom.com’s advanced analytics. On the other hand, they have never made it to the Final Four and always seem to burn people on their brackets. Flip a coin on this one — this was the hardest game for me to predict.

Final Four:

(2) Arizona over (6) SMU:

I still can’t decide who will win between Arizona and Gonzaga. Also, why is SMU even here? Let’s move on, this is impossible.

(1) Kansas over (1) University of North Carolina:

The battle of the one-seeds, I’m taking the Kansas Jayhawks. After exiting the Big 12 tournament early, the group simply has too much talent and time to not be able to put together a big tournament run. The only thing that may stop this is if Josh Jackson’s off-court issues continue into the Final Four, but even without him, they’re still so hard to bet against.

Final:

(1) Kansas over (2) Arizona:

Looking back at my bracket, there are so many things that I’m unsure about and have gone back and forth on while writing this. If Wichita State can beat Kentucky, why can’t they beat UCLA? Is Florida Gulf Coast really going to be able to beat Florida State? Will SMU be able to make it out of region with Duke and Villanova? Who will win between Arizona and Gonzaga? The impossible nature of predicting this tournament is what makes it so intriguing every year. That being said, however, I have not wavered from predicting Kansas to win it all. Frank Mason III is having an incredible season and can carry this team far by himself. Add in Josh Jackson and this just feels like a tournament-winning team.

To view my complete bracket, click here.

Women’s basketball season comes to an end with 77–64 loss to Cal Baptist Lancers

By
EIC
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All good things must come to an end, and this saying is especially true in the sports world.

 

In the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2013, SFU was just one win away from the Elite Eight. Two days after pulling off the upset of the tournament, the Clan was looking to play spoiler once more — this time to the California Baptist Lancers.

 

After getting up to a 10-point lead near the end of the first quarter and looking in control, SFU faltered. They were outscored 23–6 the rest of the half, and although the Clan made things interesting in the second half by tying things up, the Lancers proved too much in the end.

 

The final score ended up being 77–64, ending SFU’s season four months and nine days after it officially began.

 

The game started out well for SFU. After trailing by four early on, the Clan went on a 23–9 run to take a 10-point lead late in the first, before the Lancers battled back to cut it to six. Ozi Nwabuko led the way in the first quarter, going a perfect 5–5 from the field and finishing with 10 points.

 

In the second quarter, the Clan only scored six points compared to Cal Baptist’s 17. The Lancers really turned it on near the end, scoring back-to-back threes that really put SFU on its heels.

 

SFU was down by seven, but there weren’t any alarm bells ringing yet. SFU was still shooting better from the field as well as from three-point land — the difference was Cal Baptist went 12–13 in free throw attempts. In contrast, SFU didn’t get to the line once.

 

The Clan came out in the second half determined, and did a great job drawing offensive fouls to start. A layup from Rachel Fradgley and a deep three from Elisa Homer brought SFU to within three. After that, Homer once again knocked down a triple to tie it at 44, before the teams traded baskets to tie it at 46.

 

For nearly two minutes after that, neither team scored — the game was up for grabs. Cal Baptist eventually took advantage, ending the quarter with five points and outscoring SFU 26–18 in the final frame.

 

Both teams shot exactly 37.1% from the field. However, what ended up being the deciding factor was the Lancers’ ability to get to the line. They scored 22 of their 77 from free throws, shooting at 91.7%. Compare that to SFU, who went only 5–8 from the line — a significantly lower 62.5% clip.

 

In the team’s final game of the season, it seemed fitting that SFU was led by players who will likely be leaned upon for next season — however far in the future that seems from now.

 

Sophomore Tayla Jackson had an incredibly efficient 15 points, two blocks, and two rebounds in 14 minutes played coming off the bench. Rachel Fradgley nearly had a double double, finishing with 12 points and eight boards in 17 minutes.

 

A senior next year, Elisa Homer played 34 minutes and had 14 points, including four threes. GNAC Freshman of the Year Ozi Nwabuko had 11 points, 10 of which came in the first quarter.

 

But for two players, this marked the end of their collegiate careers. In Ellen Kett’s final game, she played 39 of the game’s 40 minutes and had 3 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals — another typical all-around performance from her.

 

She will go down as arguably SFU’s best-ever player in the NCAA era — and one can certainly make the case perhaps one of the best in the whole history of the program.

 

Her records for most assists in a season and single game will probably not be broken for quite some time, if ever. Her passing ability made the players on the floor with her that much better, and there is no doubt she will be greatly missed next year.

 

And for Meg Wilson — not able to play in the game due to a finger injury — her versatility will need to be replaced. Sophie Swant seemed to be capable throughout the three games she started in her place, but that was a very small sample size. The Clan’s leading scorer and rebounder during the regular season, Wilson will leave some big shoes to fill for next year.

 

But for now, it is time to reflect on truly a season to remember for the women’s basketball program. Their 26 wins set a record in the team’s NCAA era, and was 10 wins better than the year previous. Although it is a bitter pill to swallow now, this year will be looked at fondly in due time from all involved.

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

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© The Peak Publications Society

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

For advertising inquiries: [email protected]
For promotional inquiries: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society