Simon Fraser University hung on to second place in the Great Northwest conference women's basketball standings.
The Clan split a pair of conference matchups on the road, dropping its second game of the season to third-place Northwest Nazarene 60-59 on Jan. 24 before bouncing back with a 66-58 win over last-place Central Washington on Saturday.
NCAA Division II field goal percentage leader, Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe, tallied her 10th double-double this season and 52nd of her collegiate career in Thursday's loss. Raincock-Ekunwe led the Clan with 17 points and game-high 19 rebounds in the tightly played game.
SFU led 34-33 at half time, but the lead changed hands numerous times in the second half.
But with five minutes left to play, Nazarene went on a 12-3 run and held on for the team's sixth conference win.
SFU managed to stay ahead of Nazarene in the standings, winning its seventh game of the year in Ellensburg, Washington on Saturday.
Erin Chambers led all scoreres with 21 points. Raincock-Ekunwe chipped in with 12 points and seven boards.
Early in the first half, Meg Wilson sparked a 21-0 run with a layup that put SFU into the lead for good.
"We were excellent defensively in the first half and Erin was very good offensively in the early going. She hit a big three late, as did (New Westminster's) Kia Van Laare to secure the win," said Clan head coach Bruce Langford in a Clan press release.
Western Washington continues to lead the women's conference with a 9-0 record. Northwest Nazarene and Montana State Billings are tied in third at 6-3.
NO. 1 IN NATION
Simon Fraser University is the hottest shooting Division II women's basketball team in the NCAA.
The Clan ranks first in the nation in field goal percentage shooting, making good on 47.6 per cent of its shots from the floor as of Jan. 22.
SFU's Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe leads Div. II with a 67.8 individual field goal percentage.
