By: Burke De Boer Sports Editor
Men’s basketball saw their five game winning streak come to a close as they dropped a pair of games on the road last week.
A 63-73 loss to Western Washington on Feb. 9 was the rough start to the week.
The first half in Bellingham saw the two teams feel one another out, with nine lead changes. The final play of the half was a fastbreak dunk by junior forward Tanner Omlid, which cut Western Washington’s lead at the time to one point.
The exciting play continued into the second half.
Ten seconds in, Omlid hit a layup to take the lead. The Wolves would extend their advantage to as much as eight points before Western Washington fought back.
The teams traded baskets in the final minutes as Western Washington was able to keep the Wolves at bay.
A trip to Burnaby presented the Wolves with an opportunity to salvage a win from the road tip, as they had won 16 straight against Simon Fraser. Simon Fraser had yet to win a conference game.
When Tanner Omlid fouled out with eight minutes left in the game, the Wolves found themselves unable to dictate.
Junior guard Ali Faruq-Bey was the hard charger in the final minutes, scoring nine points without Omlid. But this was not enough, as the Simon Fraser team put up 18 to win it, 63-68.
Even though he fouled out, Omlid picked up a double-double on the night, scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Faruq-Bey totaled 16 points in the loss.
At 10-6 in conference play this season, the Wolves remain in a good position. They are ranked third in the GNAC, remaining in control of their spot in the playoff picture.
The Wolves look to get back to winning ways, hosting two Alaskan foes this week. They play the Nanooks on Feb. 16 and the Seawolves on Feb. 18. Tipoff for both nights is 7:30 p.m.
Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu
