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NFL Blitz with Jason Romisher: Conference Finals Preview

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EIC
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Matt Ryan passed for 4,944 yards, and had 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season — giving him a strong chance for the NFL’s MVP.

The Chiefs came oh-so-close last week to defeating the Steelers, whom they kept out of the endzone and limited to six field goals. If you didn’t catch it, the Chiefs scored a last-minute touchdown and converted for two points to tie the game 18–18, but left tackle Eric Fisher was flagged for holding James Harrison. With that, my Chiefs pick last week did not come through. Nevertheless, 3–1 on the weekend and 5–3 overall for the playoffs.

In other action, the Patriots didn’t play well, but still managed to thump the Texans 34–16 despite Tom Brady’s uncharacteristically poor play (two interceptions). The Falcons looked dominant at home against the Seahawks and the Packers won a thrilling game against the Cowboys on Mason Crosby’s last-second field goal after a miraculous Aaron Rodgers to Jared Cook completion.

The four teams remaining are all on long winning streaks; New England (8), Pittsburgh (8), Green Bay (8), and Atlanta (5). I cannot remember four teams converging in the Conference Finals that are this red hot. This weekend any team has the pedigree to win their Conference and advance to the Super Bowl. Both games are incredible matchups and there are no significant underdogs so upset specials and game of the week distinctions are out the window.

Green Bay (12–6) at Atlanta (12–5), Sunday 12:05 p.m.

I am old enough to remember, and to have watched, the Falcons play in their lone Super Bowl in the 1998 season.  It was incredibly disappointing seeing them advance to the big game after an improbable road victory against the 16–1 Vikings featuring Randall Cunningham, Cris Carter, and some guy named Randy Moss on offence. They promptly served as a foil for John Elway’s second Super Bowl win in the final game of his illustrious career.

This Falcons team is far more dynamic than that edition on the strength of having the league’s number one offence. Much is being made of the low overall ratings of the Falcons’ defence this season, but the unit has played very well in the latter part of the season. Holding the Seahawks, led by Russell Wilson, to just 20 points is a testament to this unit’s growth and development under their defensive-minded head coach, Dan Quinn. The top weapon is of course, Julio Jones, who is difficult to cover and capable of shredding any defence. Last week, he put up 67 yards and a touchdown despite being shadowed all day by elite corner Richard Sherman. The Falcons have also remained healthy on the offensive line being the only team in the whole league that has started the same five men at the position all season. Line play is so important to any offensive system and elite skill players are essentially negated if the line cannot play with effectiveness.

Leading the Falcons’ attack is quarterback Matt Ryan who has a strong case to be this season’s MVP.  Ryan had an incredible season, passing for 4,944 yards with 38 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. During the five-game win streak, Ryan posted 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also is not reliant on Jones or anyone else in the passing game as he consistently spreads the ball around to all of his receivers, backs, and tight ends.  It was very impressive last week with how unfazed the Falcons were, despite being backed up to their two-yard line after a punt.  Most teams play it conservatively in that situation, but Ryan just lined up and started slinging darts and moving the sticks.  Stopping Atlanta will be a tall task for Green Bay, whose pass defence was ranked 31st in the league this year.  For instance, last week, rookie Dak Prescott lit up the Packers for three touchdown passes and 302 yards. These two teams met in week eight with the Falcons prevailing 33–32 on the strength of Ryan’s three touchdown passes and 288 yards. Green Bay does have the ability to pressure the passer with hall of fame candidate Julius Peppers still able to cause havoc as well as the presence of disruptive linebacker Clay Matthews III.

During Green Bay’s eight-game winning streak, Rodgers has played as well as at any point in his stellar career. He also has a strong MVP case, passing for 4,428 yards with 40 touchdowns and just seven interceptions, and with 21 touchdowns, one interception and a 68.9% completion rate during the winning streak. It would seem like a disappointment if such an incredible player retired with just the one Super Bowl. In the last three years, the Packers have been ousted from the playoffs twice in overtime and once by a last-second field goal. If they go out, you better believe it will be with full offensive guns blazing. One cause for concern is that top receiver Jordy Nelson may miss another game with a rib injury and number two target Davante Adams is also questionable.  Nevertheless, Rodgers demonstrated last week that he can work with second unit players and still get the job done.  An interesting development has been the dynamic play of receiver Ty Montgomery, as his receiving ability makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing linebackers.  

A key side note, for those of you who are patriotic and do not have a rooting interest in this game, is that Falcons general manager Tom Dimitroff Jr. is Canadian and a graduate of the University of Guelph. His father, Tom Dimitroff Sr., was the head coach at the University of Guelph and led the team to a 1984 Vanier Cup victory. Dimitroff Jr. also takes care of his old Guelph football buddies. My good friend Jeff Hale — an outstanding coach who I had the privilege of coaching with for several years — has been down to Atlanta on a few occasions with full facility access and field passes.

Rodgers is tough to pick against but I just cannot see the Packers stopping Atlanta enough times to win this football game. Expect a high scoring shootout similar to the Cardinals epic 51–45 overtime win over the Packers in the 2009 season.

Prediction: Falcons 48 Packers 45       

Pittsburgh (13–5) at New England (15–2), Sunday 3:40 p.m.

Can you believe that Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady have only met once in the postseason? This really surprised me as these two teams are perennially in the playoffs and have six Super Bowl titles since New England with Brady won their first.  The Patriots are also playing for their seventh American Football Conference title in the Brady and Belichick era. Brady is currently tied with Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana for most Super Bowl wins with four, and would love a fifth this season — especially because of the actions during the “deflategate” scandal. It may be the most ludicrous suspension in the history of professional sports.  To put the suspension into perspective, the League suspended Josh Brown this season for just one game for domestic abuse. How satisfying would it be for Brady to hoist the Lombardi trophy in the face of commissioner Goodell after robbing his career of four precious games?

The Patriots have a huge advantage being at home where they are 15–3 since they began their playoff run in the 2001 season.  Offensively, the Patriots are without star tight end Rob Gronkowski.  However, they have the ability to run a spread offence with Brady or run a punishing ground game with bruising running back Legarrette Blount who had 1,161 yards and 18 touchdowns this season.  Last week Dion Lewis, a shiftier running back, was the first player in playoff NFL history to return a kick for a touchdown, rush for a touchdown, and catch a pass for a touchdown.  Lewis has battled injuries, but is finally healthy and ready to contribute.  

What is so fun about the Patriots is how well coached they are. You always have to be ready for brand new schemes and trick plays whenever the Patriots are in a big game. Defensively, their unit is extremely well-coached, so much so that their players are able to call out the offense’s plays based on formation and situation.

Facing the Patriots are the Steelers, one of the premiere franchises in football over the past five decades (they stunk prior), who are looking for their seventh Super Bowl title and ninth appearance in the big game. The Steelers were hit by a big time distraction this week when star receiver Antonio Brown inexplicably decided to broadcast on Facebook live during the post-game team meeting in the locker room after the Chiefs victory. In the video, head coach Mike Tomlin was heard making disparaging remarks about the Patriots. Tomlin met with the media and admonished Brown’s actions in no uncertain terms. Nevertheless, the Steelers will need their star receiver to play well if the Steelers want to win in New England. Brown, Roethlisberger, and running back Le’Veon Bell are top skill position players on the Steelers. Bell may be the best offensive player in the league right now. He carved up both the Dolphins and Chiefs with his unique running style and elite pass catching skills. Bell has set and then raised the Steelers playoff single game rushing record in his first two career playoff games with 29 carries for 167 yards and two touchdowns against the Dolphins, and 30 carries for 170 yards against the Chiefs.

The Patriots will seek to neutralize Bell and force Roethlisberger to beat them through the air. Big Ben has not played overly well this season on the road and will look to correct this trend in a pressure-packed situation. The Steelers also have a young and improving defence that will be up to the challenge of stopping the Patriots. I have been extremely impressed by the play of 38 year-old James Harrison who continues to be a force as an edge rusher and full time linebacker for the Steelers. Harrison, you might remember, made one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history during the Steelers’ last championship season and is doing everything he can to lead a young unit back to the show.

As much as I like this Steelers team, I am leery that they were unable to score a touchdown last week against the Chiefs. The Patriots will have a great game plan in place and have a great shot to keep the Steelers under 20 points.  If they do they will be Super Bowl bound.

Prediction: Patriots 20 Steelers 17

#CorporationsArentPeople so why do they pretend to be?

By
EIC
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0

[dropcap]C[/dropcap]apitalism is evil and corporations are everywhere, including beloved social media forums like Twitter and Tumblr. From billboards to television ads to upscale shopping malls, there are never-ending reminders from companies to buy their stuff that will make us look slimmer, be stronger, smell better. . . basically corporations think we need to become a kind of self-indulgent superhuman.

Corporations are also worming their way into the realm of social media.  But sometimes, they try to venture out of the advertising of their products and attempt to relate to their consumers as people. I use the word “attempt” with emphasis. These efforts are often done in poor taste, and leave buyers feeling mildly to extremely uncomfortable.

The Internet Uncle

You know that wildly inappropriate uncle you have at the dinner table? The one who says things that everyone disagrees with? Who uses racial slurs and justifies them? Who most likely voiced his support for Donald Trump during discussions about the presidential election? He may be an accomplished businessman or been in a career field for thirty years, but he is a certified asshole. Corporate Twitter is that uncle in Internet form, inducing cringeworthy moments when companies attempt to comment on current events and issues.

For instance, the Twitter hashtag, “#WhyIStayed,” was used as a powerful tool for survivors of domestic violence to provide a voice on the complicated nature of their experiences and how they couldn’t just leave abusive relationships. But of course, company DiGiorno Pizza decided to use this hashtag in a tweet that read, “#WhyIStayed You had pizza.” Not only did DiGiorno discount the experiences of survivors by using the hashtag to promote their products, they did so in poor taste. As a result, they received backlash from the media and the public due to their venture into Twitter trends.

There is also the fact that corporations keep interjecting on online conversations that they have no business in being a part of. Some examples include the Twitter account of PopChips, who tweeted on Martin Luther King Jr. Day that he was an “eternal poptimist,” and Cinnabon recently tweeted a tribute in ill taste for the late Carrie Fisher, saying that she “had the best buns in the galaxy.”

Now, I am actually someone who usually loves puns and witty phrases (and make them only to be met by groans from my friends), but even I have to draw the line at the appropriate times to use them. At the end of the day, these tweets are eyeroll-worthy, only prompting anger and complaints from the audiences of these accounts. This prompts of the question: why do corporations even engage in these conversations in the first place? Masquerading behinding an online profile, these companies pretend to care about people and movements the way a human would — all for the sake of manipulating us into caring about their product.

A cocktail of concerning online behaviour

While the main goal of a corporation is to make a profit, in order to accomplish that they need to gain recognition for their brand. In the age of the Internet, going viral is equivalent to gaining recognition, and while that recognition can come in the form of negative backlash, it is still recognition nonetheless. Internet culture has ensured that the most shocking statements will receive plenty of attention, and these inappropriate tweets ensure that the brand’s name is getting out there.

TV personality John Oliver compared Twitter to a cocktail party, the kind where everyone is having detailed conversations about events, and friends and strangers can meet and chat. He then went on to say that corporations don’t belong in these conversations, and used the exaggerated example of Tony the Tiger bursting in with his slogan, “It’s grrreat!” in the middle of a conversation about abortion to illustrate his point.

Corporate Twitter Done Right

Of course, there are also hilarious ways that corporate Twitter accounts gain notoriety. The main example of this is the blessing that is Wendy’s Twitter account. Answering customer inquiries with off-the-charts levels of sass, the fast food chain does customer service like no other. Somebody tweeted at them asking what to do if there was no Wendy’s in their area; they replied with the concise answer of, “Move.” The account has also engaged in online banter with fast food rivals McDonald’s and Burger King, describing the former with the picture of a trash can and calling out the latter for not serving edible food.

The blatant honesty and rivalry on Wendy’s Twitter account is refreshing, as it isn’t veiled behind advertising practices that try and emotionally manipulate us. It also gives the brand an added depth that makes it stand out from other corporations on Twitter, and promotes audience engagement by responding to customer inquiries with pop culture references such as Hamilton or Kim Kardashian gifs. Regardless what one may think about their food, Wendy’s does corporate Twitter right.

Corporations sell things to the public, and they should stick to selling things to the public, even online. They shouldn’t be using current events to sell their products unless they are served in the form of lighthearted memes or with copious amounts of sass. Simply put, corporations should stick to just selling us shit.

Jordan Herdman invited to Senior Bowl

By
EIC
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Jordan Herdman (#57) holds numerous conference records, including most tackles in a season and total tackles.

SFU football linebacker Jordan Herdman is off to the 2017 Reese’s Senior Bowl on January 28. The event showcases all of the graduating seniors from NCAA football programs who are eligible to be drafted into the National Football League (NFL). Herdman will be competing against players who will likely be chosen in the upcoming NFL Draft, and is widely considered the showcase event for the top senior football prospects.


“We at SFU football are tremendously proud of Jordan,” said football head coach Kelly Bates to SFU Athletics. “During his time as a member of SFU football, Jordan provided a great example of what every student athlete should strive to be and accomplish. He continues to push himself to be the best player he can be and his hard work and commitment have been rewarded both on and off the field.”

Herdman was a dominant force during his time in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference playing for SFU football. He holds conference records in tackles with 428, and holds the single game record for most tackles in a game with 26. He also holds the record for most tackles in a single season with 165. He was ninth in all of Division II in tackles per game.

What this means for his future career remains to be seen. He likely has a shot after this to compete in some NFL free agent camps, but if he has an outstanding game could be chosen late in the NFL draft. This game represents a huge opportunity to raise his draft stock.

And of course, there is always the Canadian Football League (CFL). He curiously wasn’t included in the CFL’s top prospects list back in September, but was included at 16th in the updated rankings in December. However, with the season’s he’s had, he could be in contention for the first overall pick.

The Senior Bowl will be broadcasted on the NFL Network . Kick-off is at 11:30 a.m. Pacific.

Minutes from Emergency Board Meeting

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EIC
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The Peak Publications Society Board of Directors
January 20, 2017
The Peak offices
Chair: Jessica Pickering

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SFU women’s basketball defeat Montana State 86–72

By
EIC
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Wilson recorded her second straight double double, finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds, as well as three steals.

After Tuesday night’s emotional loss, SFU was looking for a way to bounce back and show that they were still a dominant team in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC). They found the perfect tonic in the Montana State University Billings. In a performance typical of the season thus far, the Clan got solid performances up and down the lineup to win 86–72.

“I thought some things were very good,” said head coach Bruce Langford after the game. “[Rachel] Fradgley was efficient, I thought that [Ellen] Kett was efficient, [and] I thought that we were resilient. They had some runs at us, and we maintained our composure and came back.”

The first quarter was a tight affair. SFU, frankly, missed some easy baskets, which allowed Montana State to take a three point lead. However, back-to-back threes by freshman Tia Tsang meant the Clan were up by two by the end of it. They were able to extend that lead to nine by the end of the half — Ellen Kett hit a clutch corner three, and also dished it out to Meg Wilson inside for an easy two points. SFU showed some resilience in the second half, battling back from two Montana State surges to eventually take the game by 14.

The dominant player throughout the game was easily Meg Wilson. Recording her second straight double-double, she finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and three steals in a type of performance that is starting to become commonplace.  

“She has a lot of weapons,” said Langford on what makes Wilson such a dominant player. “She can shoot the three, drive and finish inside tight, she rebounds well, [and] she usually gets a steal and a breakaway layup every now and again, which makes things easy for us. She’s got a great diverse skillset that allows her to have success.”

Another standout performance came from Division I transfer Tayla Jackson. Although she only recorded eight points, those all came in the final 3:05 of the game where she showed off what could make her a dominant force in the future — and perhaps making the case for more playing time.

“I thought that we were resilient. They had some runs at us, and we maintained our composure and came back.”

“Hopefully it will help her upside,” commented Langford. “She’s struggled a little bit with some things, and she had a lucky bounce that went in beautifully, and then she had two or three moves in a row that got stopped.

“I think she got frustrated, but then she had things go her way for a little bit. She had a nice drop step that open from a nice pass, and so I’m sure that’s going to help a little bit with her confidence.”

Ellen Kett once again led SFU in minutes played with 35, and finished with 13 points and seven assists. Rachel Fradgley finished with 15 points and three rebounds. Ozi Nwabuko rounded out the double-digit SFU players, finishing with 12 points and three rebounds.

Next Games: SFU now are on a bit of a break, as they don’t play until next Thursday against Concordia University. SFU has already beaten Concordia this year, winning convincingly 80–58 on the back of Ozi Nwabuko’s 18 points. They’re currently seventh in the GNAC with a 3–6 conference record, but things could be different this time around. Of their six overall wins this year, four of them have come at home. They’re also third in the conference in three-point percentage. Despite that, it should be a fairly winnable game.

After that, it’s off to Western Oregon on Saturday. SFU has beaten them already this year 71–57. Similarly to Concordia, they’re a lot better at home — they’re 5–3 compared to their 1–6 away record. They currently sit in tenth place in the GNAC and are in the bottom half in pretty much every category, including turnover margin — meaning they give up the ball a lot more than they take it away from the opposition.

Like the last time these two teams met, the key will be to try and limit Shelby Snook’s opportunities — she’s currently fifth in conference scoring, averaging just over 16 points per game. When these two teams played last, SFU was able to do just that, as Snook had only six points in 33 minutes, of which five came in the first half. Ozi Nwabuko was tasked to shut her down, and she did so brilliantly. If SFU can repeat that gameplan, they should have no problem winning this one.

Both games start at 7 p.m.

Clan show signs of improvement, but fall short against Central Washington 97–85

By
Peak Web
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It was a game that highlighted both the youth on Simon Fraser’s basketball team, and the three-point making ability that Central Washington has displayed all season.

Coming into the game on a 12-game losing streak against the second place Central Washington Wildcats, the Clan knew they were facing a challenge. While they ended up losing the game, coach Steve Hanson was positive regarding the team’s effort.

“I thought our guys battled hard,” said the coach when asked about the game. “There were great stretches of effort, we just haven’t had a game of 40 minutes.”

The game started in favour of Central Washington, as two blocked shots by Fuquan Niles led to transition threes for Dom Hunter and Naim Ladd, and gave the team a 13–9 lead early. A few minutes later, two Ladd free-throws stretched the lead to 27–16 for the visiting team.

Two fouls by starting SFU point guard Michael Provenzano forced coach Hanson to go to his bench early, where Othniel Spence provided a defensive spark. The Clan then went on a 12–3 run that was capped by a steal and made free-throw attempts by Spence, cutting the lead to two points.

“He brings us so much energy on the defensive end,” said Hanson when asked about Spence’s play as of late. “He’s learning every week [. . .] he’s getting better every week.”

A beautiful alley-oop from Spence to JJ Pankratz helped the Clan keep the game close, before two failed defensive rebounds lead to a three for Ladd and a converted-and-one dunk for Niles.

When asked about it after the game, coach Hanson said, “The difference was the offensive glass, we just gave up too many second chance points.” Central Washington was plus seven in second chance points in this one, outscoring Simon Fraser 13–6.

A four-point play by Ladd gave the Wildcats a 52–44 lead going into the half. While faced with a daunting challenge, the Clan seemed to be holding their own so far.

In the beginning of the second half, however, the game got away from them. The Wildcats went on a 22–4 run to start the half, giving them a 74–48 lead. While the Clan made a valiant effort to claw back, strong play by Ladd and Niles ended up being the difference in the game.

“There were great stretches of effort, we just haven’t had a game of 40 minutes.”

Ladd ended the game with an efficient 33 points in 30 minutes on 8–11 three pointers, which has been the story of the Wildcats’ season thus far, as they lead the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) in three-pointers made per game. This combined with Niles dominating the paint with 14 rebounds and three blocks was too much for Simon Fraser to handle.

On the bright side, Kedar Wright had another solid performance for the Clan, with 25 points and seven rebounds on 8–17 shooting, including three three-pointers. When asked on his performance, coach Hanson responded with, “We see what Kedar can do on offense every day [. . .] he’s a very good three-point shooter.”

On top of this, the Clan were plus 17 in bench points, largely in part to Hidde Vos going 5–9 from behind the arc.

In a game in which Simon Fraser was a solid 48.3% from the field, the offense was not the problem. While showing bursts of effort on the defensive end, the 54.1% that Central Washington shot from the field alludes to the relatively young team that Simon Fraser has.

This can be summed up with coach Hanson’s post game quote: “We’re just not as big. . . not as old and strong.”

With this loss the Clan continue their skid with their 13th straight loss, and fall to 0–9 in the GNAC.

NEXT GAME: Simon Fraser will host the Northwest Nazarene University Crusaders on Saturday. The Crusaders are 1–4 in away games so far this season, giving the Clan a good opportunity to break their losing streak. They are tied for second in the GNAC in scoring defence, averaging 73 points per game.

Tip-off is at 7 p.m.

Politics Central: State of Innu reserve of Uashta-Maliotenam has been labeled as form of “apartheid”

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Peak Web
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By: Manon Busseron

Five suicide deaths have occurred in the Innu reserve of Uashat-Maliotenam, near Sept-Îles (Quebec), home of more than 4,000 people. An inquiry was conducted by Quebec’s coroner, Bernard LeFrançois, to determine the circumstances of these deaths and, above all, to analyze the victims’ broader living context in order to understand the high suicide rates that have affected aboriginal communities.

LeFrançois’ final report underlines that First Nations people are more affected by poverty,  unemployment, alcohol, drug consumption, imprisonment, domestic violence, school dropout, and suicide issues.

Since 1994, 44 deaths by suicide occurred in the reserve of Uashat-Maliotenam. LeFrançois and Innu Chief Mike McKenzie believe that although suicides are mostly linked to personal discontent, structural causes must also be examined. Indeed, LeFrançois said that the entire reserves system “contributes to mental health problem[s] and substance abuse.” Aboriginal people are often isolated from health and suicide prevention services. For instance, the Naskapi have to travel 900km to get addiction treatment in their own language or English.

In his report, LeFrançois called reserves an “apartheid system,” in reference to the discriminating system towards black people established in South Africa between 1948 and 1994.

He put this idea directly in relation to reserves and suicides, stating that “the great fundamental problem lies with the ‘apartheid’ system into which aboriginals have been thrust for 150 years or more,” and that “the Indian Act is an ancient and outdated law that establishes two kinds of citizens, aboriginals and non-aboriginals.” He described the exclusion aboriginal people have faced: “The aboriginal is a ward of the State, someone considered incapable and unfit.”

First Nations representatives reacted positively to this report. Jean-Claude Therrien Pinnette, a spokesman for Uashat-Maliotenam people, agreed with the label “apartheid,” with the understanding that the name was an accurate assessment.

The report is considered by the coroner and First Nations’ chiefs as a step towards improvement for the Uashat-Maliotenam reserve, but also for all the other aboriginal people that are affected by the issues previously mentioned. Indeed, the report acknowledges that the people who committed suicide had their own reasons but also shared an aboriginal identity marked by their life in reserves. It seeks to find solutions to sociological and structural problems in order to prevent any more suicide.

The report offers 44 recommendations to provinces and to social institutions, including the creation of an aboriginal suicide prevention centre with Indigenous staff in Ottawa, a regional task force to fight drug trafficking, and the development of therapy centers and addiction treatment facilities for aboriginal people.

Quebec’s Minister for Rehabilitation, Youth Protection, Public Health, and Healthy Living, Lucie Charlebois, also highlighted that her government was holding a multi-year inquiry into the treatment of Indigenous people.

The suicide rate among Aboriginal people in Canada remains twice as high as non-aboriginals’.

With files from CBC, & Bureau du Coroner Quebec

Minutes from January 18th

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EIC
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Peak Publications Society Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
January 18, 2017
The Peak offices
Chair: Jessica Pickering

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Simon Fraser lose 84–72 to Western Washington

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Peak Web
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Ellen Kett (#5) finished with 16 points, six assists, and five rebounds playing the full 40 minutes.

The Simon Fraser University defence had no answer for Taylor Peacocke as she showed the Clan why she leads the NCAA Division II women’s basketball in points per game.

“We could do anything differently and it wouldn’t have been as bad as today,” coach Bruce Langford answered when asked about how the team could stop Taylor Peacocke in the future.

An ugly turnover lead to a Peacocke layup at the tip-off, and the game seemed to come just as easily to her as it continued. She had a career high 41 points, and dominated the game offensively in a variety of ways. Whether it’s her ability to drive to the basket, her ability to draw fouls, or her three-point abilities, she was certainly the catalyst behind Western Washington’s 84–72 victory to take sole possession of second place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC).

The game began with an emphasis on attacking the basket for both teams, with three consecutive traded layups — one of which was a Peacocke-and-one. A few jump ball calls and diving players in the first quarter showed that both teams were determined to battle for the second seed. A gritty first quarter went in favour of Simon Fraser, as they lead 19–17 at the end of the quarter after an Ellen Kett steal lead to a basket for Sophie Swant.

The second quarter was very much the same, as charges taken by Elisa Homer and Ellen Kett set the tone for the Clan’s defence. There was nothing to separate the teams, and Western Washington even switched to zone defence a few times to try and gain an edge. This edge was not gained, at least in the first half, as a Peacocke-and-one layup tied the game at 34 before a Kett free-throw made the game 35–34 for SFU going into the half.

The second half, however, was a different story.

A 22–9 run propelled by Peacocke’s outside scoring gave the Vikings a 12 point lead. A combination of Simon Fraser zone defence and strong point play by Kett helped cut the lead to five, and the teams went into the fourth quarter with a score of 60–55.

Peacocke was simply too much for Kett and company to handle, as her strong play continued into the fourth quarter. A midrange jumper and back-to-back three’s by her gave the Vikings a 68–58 lead. She didn’t miss her first shot of the half until there was 4:53 left in the fourth quarter. She finished the second half with 27 points on 8–9 shooting. “I didn’t think we contested her shots,” said Langford on the team’s defending of Peacocke.

The game ended 84–72, with Peacocke certainly being the difference. “[Your] best players need to be your best players and Peacocke was the best player tonight,” said Langford.

Even with this devastating loss, however, there is a positive to take from the game. Meg Wilson continued her strong play with a 24 point, 10 rebound double-double. When asked on her performance, coach Langford responded with: “She does a lot of things right [. . .] she scores quickly because of steals, she rebounds, and [she] gets offensive putbacks.”

In this one however, Taylor Peacocke simply took the game over.

With this loss Simon Fraser University falls to 7–2 in conference play and third place in the GNAC, with both of their losses coming to the teams above them in the standings. Coach Langford believes the team can make improvements: ”We need some better offensive flow,” said Langford. “I don’t think we shot our shot early in the game or even late in the game.”

Next Game: The Clan hopes to improve from this home defeat as they host the Montana State Billings Yellowjackets on Thursday. The Yellowjackets are tied for sixth in the conference with a 3–5 conference record and a 6–10 record overall. They are lead by Tiana Hanson who is averaging 16.3 points per game.

Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m.

Agenda for January 18

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Peak Publications Society Board of Directors Meeting Agenda
January 18, 2017
The Peak offices
Chair:

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

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

© 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