Box Score Photo Gallery
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Despite trailing Alaska for over 37 minutes, Simon Fraser used a 12-2 run in the final 3:23 to rally for a 65-61 Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball victory Saturday night at the Patty Center.
“I'm really disappointed in the final five minutes offensively,” head coach
Mick Durham said. “I thought they had some motivation from Appiah when he hurt his knee. I thought they were determined defensively.”
Jordan Sergent scored 17 of his game-high 20 points in the second half, including seven points in the last 74 seconds to lift the Clan (5-9, 1-6 GNAC) to their first conference win of the season.
Sergent's layup with 3:23 to go sparked the SFU run and after a pair of free throws by
Justin Brown with just over two minutes remaining, the Clan took their first lead since 2-0 when Sergent slashed through the lane and completed an old-fashioned three-point play with a bucket and a free throw with 1:16 to play.
Sergent drained a jumper with 32 ticks remaining to up the lead to 62-59 and the Nanooks (4-13, 1-6 GNAC) had a chance to tie, but three-point attempts by sophomore
Stefan Tica (Belgrade Serbia/Panola College) and junior
Dominique Brinson (Juneau, Alaska/College of the Redwoods) were both off the mark over the course of seven seconds and free throws by the visitors put the game away.
“We had two good three looks to tie from our two best shooters, so it's unfortunate those didn't go in,” Durham said.
Other key contributors for the Clan included Brown, who had 19 points with four assists and three steals and
Connor Lewis and
Ibrahim Appiah, who combined for 23 points and 16 rebounds. As a team, it shot just under 52-percent in the second half, despite an abysmal 20-percent in the first frame. SFU only committed nine turnovers, while forcing Alaska into 15 giveaways, which resulted in 19 points off turnovers.
“Defensively, I thought we were much better to hold a team to 34-percent and 65 points,” Durham said. “They did score 42 in the second half. [Simon Fraser] is a good offensive team when it's in sync.”
The Nanooks were paced by sophomore center
Sergej Pucar (Banja Luka, Serbia/Jacksonville College), who tallied a team-high 16 points. Tica contributed 12 points on four triples, while freshman
Daniel Shaw (Cambridge, England/Moulton College) added 10 points. Senior guard
Nico Matthews (Twenty Nine Palms, Calif./College of the Desert) led all players with 10 rebounds and six assists.
The Nanooks return to action Thursday when they open up a four-game road trip at Saint Martin's.
“We have to come back Monday and regroup,” Durham said. “I told the guys after the game we have to show back up Monday and try to work our way through this. It isn't getting any easier so we have to go on the road and try to stay together.”
