The Simon Fraser University men’s basketball season came a close last Thursday following an 110-77 loss to Western Washington in the final game of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular season.
The Clan’s 2015 season was an historic one, marking their best record since transitioning to the NCAA in 2010. The team finished with a 6-12 conference record, going 11-15 overall.
“We played a very determined sixth place team tonight,” said head coach James Blake in a Clan press release. “They out-hustled us to loose balls and really beat us up on the boards. I am proud of our seniors’ effort throughout the year and how we took steps forward as a team.”
SFU’s border battle with the Vikings started strong as a Roderick Evans-Taylor steal and dunk propelled the Clan to a 6-1 lead to start the game.
WWU bounced back quickly, taking a 30-21 lead that they expanded to 59-38 by half time.
With a large home crowd behind them, the Vikings opened the second half with a 32-19 run, securing their lead and ultimately winning by more than 30 points by the final buzzer.
Despite the loss, SFU’s seniors left it all on the court in their final game, combining for 36 points in the match.
Sango Niang had 20 points, three assists and four rebounds, Daniel Deflorimonte had 11 points, shooting 5-for-7 from the floor, and Justin Cole added six points and five rebounds.
Hidde Vos added 12 points, knocking down four treys on six attempts, while Patrick Simon had 10 points.
“Our team made incredible leaps in the conference and the classroom this season,” Blake added. “This has been our best record in both areas, and I am proud of this team.”
Despite the loss, the game marked the culmination of an exciting season for Simon Fraser, as their six conference wins doubled that of their previous-best season.
Projected to place ninth in the conference standings, the Clan earned a respectable seventh-place finish, just a single position outside of a play-off. The team was also in playoff contention mid-season for the first time since 2010.
The Clan also spent the entire season atop the NCAA Division II in scoring, averaging 105.2 points per game, thanks to the adoption of a new offensive system which brought great success to the program.
