The Clan dropped their first game of the regular season last night so this game loses a bit of the pre-game lustre however these are two veteran-laden teams so expect a good one in Burnaby. Note that 6'4" Matt Kuzminski was not in the Clan's lineup last night in the loss to Lethbridge.
Season in Clan Farewell
The Simon Fraser Clan are going out with a roar in their final year of play in Canada West. The 5-1 Clan have had their best start ever as they hit the floor Saturday against the visiting Calgary Dinos in the last game before the long exam/holiday break, and they hope to move into the NCAA Division II ranks next year with a championship on the shelf. There is, of course, a long road before that can happen, and the Dinos are one of the teams standing directly in their path come playoff time in March.
Saturday’s game matches the forward power of Bekkering, Sihota, and Fidler for Calgary against the perimeter strength of Simon Fraser’s 5th year scorers Sean Burke, Kevin Shaw, and Matt Kuzminski, all of whom measure 6’4”. Burke is the floor general for Coach Scott Clark, and he leads the Clan with 4 assists per game along with 13 ppg and 4.4 rebounds ... he is the consummate all-around player, who shows great composure and purpose. Shaw, an outstanding 3 pt. shooter (50% on 19/38) is the leading scorer at 14 ppg, while Kuzminski, a physical wing man scores 13 ppg and grabs 5 rebs. pg. The Clan shoot 45% as a team from the floor, while scoring at a 76.4 ppg clip and giving up a league best (tied with the Dinos) 66.8 ppg at the other end.
Inside, the Red and Blue are getting yeoman-like contributions from three big men, Eric Burrell, Chas Kok, and Greg Gillies. Burrell, a 6’7”, 235 lb., 3rd year, is the top rebounder at 8 per game, and he chips in about ppg as well. Kok, a more mobile 6’5”, 3rd yr. is a better scorer (11 ppg), and grabs 4,5 rebs., while Gillies, a 6’5”, 3rd, has impressed with rebounding (4.4 rpg) and some clutch scoring (8.6 ppg) as well.
Calgary’s challenge will be to keep the defensive intensity against SFU’s perimeter game, and limit the Clan to only one shot. Calgary should have the edge on the glass, and SFU can be turnover prone, so defensive pressure will be a major weapon for the Dinos. Calgary’s Canada West leading offense ( 86 ppg) will count on the ‘Big 3” of Bekkering, Fidler, and Sihota to break down a stubborn SFU defense, and the starting guards, Jarred Ogunbemi-Jackson and Jamie McLeod will be challenged to match the Clan 5th year stand-outs.
The game will be early Saturday ... 7:00 pm MST and will be webcast ... Live Video
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