Box score, play-by-play (HTML)

BURNABY, B.C. – It was tough enough for the Seattle Pacific Falcons when they saw Simon Fraser hit 15 shots from 3-point range when the teams played last month in Brougham Pavilion.
 
The Clan did themselves one better against SPU on Thursday night in West Gym.
 
Sophie Swant poured in a career-high 34 points, getting 24 of those on eight long-range makes, and Simon Fraser drained 16 treys altogether on the way to an 82-61 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball victory.
 
Just four weeks ago in Seattle, Simon (15-7, 11-4 GNAC) shot 40 times from behind the arc, and 15 of those went in – 37.5 percent – as it went on to win, 69-60.
 
On Thursday, the Clan hit 16 of 37 – 43.2 percent. But it wasn't just the number of makes. It was when they were made. Simon Fraser drained 10 of those 16 in the final 17½ minutes of the game.
 
That completely wiped out the momentum that the Falcons (7-15, 6-9 GNAC) had used to go from 12 points down late in the first quarter to four points up early in the third.
 
"They're a really good 3-point shooting team, but I thought we defended them pretty well in the second quarter and most of the third," SPU coach Mike Simonson said. "Then we let them hit one or two, and that turned into three or four, and that turned into five or six.
 
"We made one or two mistakes and let them get hot," he added. "Once you're hot and in that zone, it's very difficult to get someone out of it."

 

Redshirt senior forward Cici West was the only Falcon in double figures, scoring 13 points to go along with a team-high eight rebounds. That gave her 200 boards for the season.

It was just beyond the midpoint of the first quarter when Simon Fraser built a 12-point lead at 18-6, and a few moments later at 21-9.
 
Seattle Pacific stayed within range, but the Clan always had an answer, and the margin was back up to 10 at 35-25 with 4:07 to go before halftime.
 
That's when the Falcons went on a 16-2 scoring run, beginning with nine points in a row on a 3-pointer by junior guard Madi Hingston and back-to-back 3s by Hailee Bennett. Just like that, it was down to one at 35-34 before Simon Fraser went into the break with a 37-34 edge.
 
SPU then rang up the first seven points of the third quarter. West hit a free throw, and converted a lay-in off a steal for a 37-37 tie, then hit a putback for the first Falcons lead of the night, 37-35, with 8:05 left in the quarter. Jade Skidmore drained two foul shots, and Seattle Pacific was up 41-37 at the 7:23 mark.
 
Simon Fraser responded with an 11-0 run – nine of those points from downtown – to take a 48-41 lead and never trailed again. SPU got as close as 56-52. Swant hit a trey to close the quarter, igniting a 14-0 scoring burst that expanded the lead to 18 at 70-52 with just 5:41 left in the game as the Falcons went scoreless for 5 minutes, 20 seconds.
 
"We played with intensity and passion in the second and third quarters," Simonson said. "I really thought we played good basketball.
 
"But at this point, we've got to play good basketball for 40 minutes, A quarter or two will not win games, especially against a good team like Simon Fraser."

BY THE NUMBERS
-- Despite the loss, the Falcons are still part of a three-way tie for sixth place – and the top six in the final standings make the GNAC Tournament. SPU, Montana State Billings, and Concordia-Portland all lost on Thursday, leaving all three at 6-9 with five games left.
-- SPU had a rebounding advantage for the second straight game, pulling down 40 to Simon Fraser's 32. Along with West's eight, Kaprice Boston and Jade Skidmore collected five apiece.
-- The Falcons had their shooting eye from 3-point range, as well, hitting 9 of 17 (52.9 percent). It's the fourth time this season they have hit 50 percent or better.
 
UP NEXT
The Falcons visit Western Washington on Saturday night in Bellingham. Tip-off in Carver Gymnasium is at 7:00 p.m. SPU won the first meeting last month in Seattle, 61-59.


NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019
West Gym / Burnaby, B.C.
 
Simon Fraser 82, Seattle Pacific 61
 
SEATTLE PACIFIC (7-15, 6-9 GNAC)
West 6-9 1-2 13, Evans 3-9 0-0 9, Rataushk 4-4 0-0 8, Hingston 3-7 0-0 7, Boston 2-7 1-1 6, Skidmore 1-5 4-4 6, Bennett 2-5 0-0 6, Albert 1-2 0-0 3, Berg 1-1 0-0 3, Hoff 0-1 0-0 0, Alter 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-51 6-7 61.
 
SIMON FRASER (15-7, 11-4 GNAC)
S. Swant 12-22 2-2 34, Drynan 6-16 0-0 17, Sands 3-6 4-4 10, Lenz 3-4 0-0 6, Kramer 2-4 0-0 5, Hart 1-1 0-0 3, G. Swant 1-1 0-0 3, Nwabuko 1-3 0-0 2, Chan 1-1 0-0 2, Beauchamp 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-59 6-6 82.
 
Seattle Pacific     15           19           18             9           -- 61
Simon Fraser      23           14           22           23           -- 82
 
3-point goals – SPU 9-17 (Evans 3-6, Bennett 2-4, Hingston 1-2, Boston 1-2, Albert 1-2, Berg 1-1), Simon 16-37 (S. Swant 8-13, Drynan 5-15, Kramer 1-3, Hart 1-1, G. Swant 1-1, Lenz 0-1, Sands 0-3). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – SPU 32 (West 8), Simon 24 (Nwabuko 4, Sands 4). Assists – SPU 12 (Skidmore 4), Simon 19 (Drynan 8). Turnovers – SPU 24, Simon 15. Total fouls – SPU 9, Simon 8. Technical fouls – None. Attendance –105.
 
 
Next game
Seattle Pacific at Western Washington
Saturday, 7:00 p.m.
Carver Gymnasium / Bellingham, Wash.