Simon Fraser University chalked up its first men's NCAA Division II basketball conference season win on Thursday.

The Clan knocked off third-place Alaska Fairbanks 68-54 in Great Northwest conference action at home on Jan. 24.

Ibrahim Appiah led the Clan with 16 points and seven rebounds.

"All week, coach was emphasizing our energy," said Appiah in a Clan press release. "He said, 'we need to come off the bench and bring the energy.' That's been my mentality the whole week."

Elijah Matthews chipped in with 14 points, while Taylor Dunn added 11 points.

Freshman Keegan Dunlop also scored 11 points in his first start for SFU.

"It was a great boost of confidence being a freshman and getting my first start," added Dunlop. "It shows the trust the coaches have in me."

The Clan's work ethic paid off, as SFU out-scored Fairbanks 19-2 on second-chance points and by an equally wide margin off the bench, 4315.

SFU went into the locker room with a slight 34-32 lead and never trailed after that.

On Saturday, SFU failed to make it two-for-two against Alaska opponents, dropping an 86-66 decision to Alaska Anchorage.

Matthews led the Clan with 12 points, while Matt Raivio and Dunlop added 11 and 10 points, respectively.