The Martlet

Despite Vikes’ forward Kayla Dykstra’s game-high 16 points and seven rebounds, the Simon Fraser (SFU) Clan ran their winning streak to 35 games on opening night, Oct. 31.

The Vikes’ women’s basketball team led for most of the first half, on the strength of near-perfect shooting from Dykstra and solid passing from second-year guard Debbie Yeboah. Yeboah was all over the court, as the diminutive Winnipeg native grabbed a game high.

Coach Brian Cheng was pleased with his team’s efforts in the early going.

“We moved the ball well, we found the inside, we spaced the floor and we shot 58 per cent in the first half,” said Cheng.

Despite the torrid shooting, the Vikes were unable to pull away in the first half. A Carmen Lapthorne three-point shot at the three-minute mark of the first frame gave the Vikes a 13-9 lead. That would be the high point of the game, as a mini-run by the Clan at the end of the second quarter left the Vikes down 31-29 at the half.

As the game progressed, the Clan’s size and athleticism began to take over.

Dykstra and forward Vanessa Forstbauer were outsized by SFU’s fourth-year pivot Laurelle Weigl, who scored 10 of her 15 points after the break. Guard Katie Miyazaki was able to impose her will on the smaller Vikes guard, putting up a solid line with six points, seven rebounds and four assists.

“They made some adjustments, but I thought we just came unfocused [in the second half], and maybe our fatigue showed a little bit,” said Cheng. “We’ve got some work to do to try to get a complete 40 minutes out of this team.”

The lack of focus showed in the turnover statistics. The Vikes turned the ball over 30 times, 15 in each halves. Turnovers are an element that good teams find ways to eliminate, said Cheng, who saw positives in the game despite the horrendous ball control the Vikes showed.

“We won almost every stat category, outside of turnovers. We just have to take care of the ball,” said Cheng.

Cheng says the Vikes can ill afford to fall into a myopic view of their offence and can’t just look to find Dykstra in the post. Over-reliance on Dykstra was part of the reason for the staggering turnover numbers.

“They amped up their defence a bit, but there were times when we just threw it to Kayla and she had three people on her. We need to make better decisions,” said Cheng.

A major scare came early in the third quarter, when Forstbauer dove for a loose ball and, as the bodies cleared, she remained down. Team doctors rushed to her side, examining her head and neck, and administering a concussion test.

After the game, Cheng confirmed that the forward, who averaged seven rebounds last season, did have a concussion. Her condition will be reassessed before the next game.

Forstbauer will get some extra time to rest, as the Vikes get a two-week layoff before playing host to Alberta and Saskatchewan on Nov. 13-14.