Simon Fraser University was a three-pointer away from its biggest win of the women's basketball season.
The Clan missed three potential game-tying treys in the final seconds of its Great Northwest conference semifinal before falling 59-56 to the No. 1 NCAA Division II Alaska Anchorage Seawolves last Friday.
In the frenzy of the final 12 seconds, Erin Chambers, the leading scorer in the nation, got off a pair of three-point attempts and sharpshooter Katie Lowen had another open look from beyond the arc following strong offensive rebounding by Meg Wilson, but all shots missed their mark.
"We had a couple of chances with some open shots at the end but they just didn't fall," said Clan head coach Bruce Langford in a prepared release. "We worked hard and never gave up, and I think we put a scare into them."
Anchorage went on to defeat Western Washington 71-58 in the conference final.
SFU led its semifinal by as many as six points with seven minutes left in the second half, but the Clan shooting went cold over the ensuing five minutes, allowing Alaska to retake the lead.
Anchorage went on an 11-0 run over that period and held a five-point advantage, before Elisa Homer nailed two of her 11 points in the final minute of play.
Chambers, playing on an injured ankle, led the Clan with a game-high 20 points. Chambers ended her university career as the Great Northwest conference's all-time leading scorer with a record 1,946 points.
Wilson finished with seven points and 11 rebounds, while guard Ellen Kett had a game-high six assists for SFU.
Anchorage moved on to the NCAA west region championships.
