There was some good and some bad to come out of Tuesday’s Great Northwest Athletic Conference season opener for the Simon Fraser University women’s basketball team.
Although they lost 74-60 to rival Western Washington University, the Burnaby Mountain-based team played well for two quarters, erasing a 10-point deficit after the first quarter before the floor dropped out in the fourth.
They trailed by one point after three quarters, but from there on Western Washington out-scored the Clan 25-12 to pull out the win.
The Vikings went 7-of-11 from the field and out-rebounded the Clan 13-4 in the period. Simon Fraser shot just 4-of-16 in the fourth quarter.
Tayla Jackson led the way with 15 points – one of four SFU players to reach double-figures. Freshman guard Kendal Sands had 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including 2-for-2 on threes, sophomore guard Tia Tsang had 13 points, going 3-of-6 on threes, while junior forward Sophie Swant chipped in 10 points.
SFU put up average numbers from long range, going five-for-18 on three pointers and 18-of-52 from the field. It came nearly a week after SFU set a GNAC record with 18 threes and shooting 51.4 per cent from beyond the arc.
They were also out-rebounded 47-18 in the game, although the Clan forced 23 turnovers.
Simon Fraser remains on the road this weekend, playing Montana State University Billings on Saturday.
Pringle, Baxter selected
They may need to add another shelf to the trophy case.
Honours keep pouring in for Simon Fraser University women’s soccer players Emma Pringle and Jenna-lee Baxter, who this week were chosen to NCAA Division 2 United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Teams.
Pringle was named to the All-West Region second team while Baxter was a third team selection. It is the first time in the NCAA-era that student-athletes from SFU’s women’s soccer program have been honoured by NCAA coaches.
There are 257 women’s soccer programs in NCAA Division 2 and 4,000 players competing.
Earlier this month, Pringle and Baxter were named to the Conference Commissioners Association All-West Region First Team, a first in program history. Both were also named to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference First Team.
Pringle tied for the GNAC lead with 14 goals, which ranks 30th in NCAA, and has 23 goals in 32 career games.
Baxter appeared in 16 games and recorded 13 assists. She led NCAA in assists per game (0.81) and was third in total assists.
SFU stalls in San Diego
Simon Fraser University men’s basketball suffered a 79-55 setback to Point Loma University last week in San Diego, Calif.
Senior forward JJ Pankratz injured his ankle the previous game and did not play. Sophomore guard Othniel Spence moved into the starting lineup for the first time this season and responded with a team-high 20 points, hitting eight-of-15 from the field, including four-of-seven on threes.
But it wasn’t enough.
Senior guard Kedar Salam scored 16 points on six-of-16 shooting while Iziah Sherman-Newsome also reached double figures scoring with 10 points.
