BURNABY, Canada – Tough shooting night north of the border and a perfect 21-for-21 at the line by Simon Fraser resulted in the Saints falling to the Clan 71-52 on Thursday night.
 
The Saints (5-10, 1-6) led early in the game and Saniah Simpson-Patu ended with 21 points; however, Simon Fraser (8-7, 3-4) pulled away in the second and fourth quarters to close out the victory.
 
The Saints turned to their leading scorers in the early goings of the game, with Simpson-Patu and Elin Johansson scoring 13 of the Saints' 15 first quarter points. Saint Martin's lead grew to as many as 11 at the 13-2 mark with 2:26 left in the quarter.
 
Simon Fraser quickly erased the deficit, opening the second quarter on a 10-0 run. The Clan capitalized on momentum they gained at the end of the first quarter and completed the comeback with a 17-4 run. Despite three buckets in the paint by Simpson-Patu, Simon Fraser's led grew to six, 32-26, entering halftime.
 
Out of the break, Simon Fraser's lead hit the double-digit mark before Makenna Schultz knocked down a 3-pointer with 6:34 left in the quarter. Simpson-Patu went back to work in the second half, hitting a jumper and then finished a layup with a free-throw and closed the gap to 40-34 with 3:57 remaining. Johansson's basket and a 3-pointer by Rebekah Baugh helped keep SMU within a 49-41 spread going into the final 10 minutes.
 
The Saints continued to attack the Clan and kept the game within six with only 4:10 left in the game. However, Simon Fraser closed out the game on a 15-2 run, with their final 12 points coming at the free throw line, to seal the 71-52 victory.
 
"We executed the game plan well in the first quarter," said head coach Christy Martin. "We focused on stopping dribble penetration and getting out on shooters. As a game progressed, we lost our focus and were not able to weather the storm. We are fighters and this team is tough and hungry. We are all growing and learning and have a lot of season left and intend on making it a great one."
 
For the third time this season, Simpson-Patu finished with 20 points, ending with 21 points on 9-for-17 shooting, along with four rebounds. Johansson added 11 points in 26 minutes of action, while Schultz recorded nine points, three rebounds and two assists. Mercedes Victor led the team with seven rebounds and 31 minutes of play.
 
Saint Martin's as a whole shot 19-for-55 (34.5 percent) from the floor, 2-for-11 (18.2 percent) beyond the arc, and 12-for-16 (75.0 percent) at the free throw line. The Saints collected 29 rebounds, nine assists on 16 turnovers, along with two steals.
 
The Saints return stateside, traveling to Bellingham, Washington to face Western Washington on Saturday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and live stats and video links can be found on smusaints.com.