Senior guard Kia Van Laare potted a pair of game-winning free throws to complete a 63-60 comeback win for Simon Fraser University over No. 9-ranked Seattle Pacific in Great Northwest women’s basketball.
The New Westminster Secondary grad came off the bench to score eight points, including four from the charity stripe in the final three minutes of play.
The Clan made 17 of 23 shots from the free throw line, including 15 in the second half to fuel the rally.
SFU led 26-21 at halftime, but allowed Seattle Pacific to go on a 19-4 run to start the second half.
Senior Rebecca Langmead started the comeback with back-to-back buckets and an assist to junior Katie Lowen to cut the deficit to six points.
Langmead finished the game with eight points, five rebounds and three blocks. Lowen had 14 points and a team-high six rebounds and four assists.
Junior Erin Chambers tied the game at 48-48 with four straight points. Chambers led the Clan with 15 points.
“Whenever you play a ranked team, it’s big,” said SFU head coach Bruce Langford. “But we’ve never won on this court before, it’s something we’ve wanted to get off our back.”
Earlier in the week, SFU dropped an 81-63 decision to Montana State Billings on Dec. 2.
Chambers again led the Clan with 17 points, but fouled out late in the second half.
Langmead finished with nine points and a team-high seven boards. Langmead and Van Laare shared a team-best three steals apiece.
SFU host 3-1 Northwest Nazarene at home on Thursday and Central Washington on Saturday. Both games tipoff at 7 p.m.
