Simon Fraser University was stuck in a second-place logjam in Great Northwest conference women’s basketball following a 1-1 road record in Alaska.
Conference scoring leader Erin Chambers scored a game-high 30 points in a 78-70 win over Alaska Fairbanks on Jan. 22.
Two days later, Chambers failed to score more than 20 points for just the fourth time this season in the Clan’s 86-66 loss in Anchorage in NCAAA Division II basketball on Saturday.
The weekend split left the Clan in a three-way tie for second place with Seattle Pacific and Western Washington in the Great Northwest all with similar 6-3 records.
Next up for SFU is Seattle Pacific which is coming off back-to-back upset losses to Western Oregon and Saint Martin’s last week.
In Fairbanks, Chambers scored five points and Division I transfer Alisha Roberts of Burnaby added a pair of free throws in the final two minutes to eke out the win over the Nanooks.
Roberts, who had eight points and five rebounds in the win, nailed a big second-half three-pointer that kept alive a pivotal 12-2 Clan run.
Meg Wilson, who finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, had two steals and Ellen Kett had a key offensive rebound to seal the win in the final minutes.
In contrast, SFU was outshot 42 to 30 per cent from the field in Anchorage.
Chambers netted 18 points for the Clan, while Wilson and Elisa Homer added 11 points apiece.
The Clan men’s team earned its first victory of 2015 with a 97-87 home win over Saint Martin’s on Jan. 24.
Justin Cole led the Clan with a game-high 25 points and seven rebounds.
The win improved SFU’s conference record to 2-6.
Earlier, SFU was soundly beaten 114-75 by Western Oregon on Jan. 22.
The men remained at home this weekend with Alaskan teams coming to town. SFU will face Alaska Anchorage on Saturday in the West Gym. Tip off is at 7 p.m.
