BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Simon Fraser guard Drew Bryson hit a turnaround jump shot with 2.5 seconds left in overtime to lift Simon Fraser University to a 82-80 victory over Western Washington University Saturday afternoon in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play on WECU Court in Carver Gym.
 
The Vikings were led by a 21-point, 7-rebound, 4-assist performance from senior forward Dakota Ayala, but Western dropped its conference opener to snap a five-game winning streak to fall to 5-3 on the season. WWU's three losses are by a combined four points.
 
SFU improved to 5-3 overall by snapping a 13-game losing streak in games played in Bellingham.
 
SFU senior forward Julian Roche was 11-for-15 from the field with a 26-point, 10-rebound double-double. SFU's solid play on the inside helped them out-score the Vikings 52-32 on points in the paint and a 38-28 rebounding advantage.
 
Western had four players score in double-digits, with guards Daniel Hornbuckle (5-for-12 FG, 4-for-10 3 FG), D'Angelo Minnis (6-for-12 FG, 7 Assists) and RJ Secrest (6-for-10 FG) all scoring 14 points. Senior forward Luke Lovelady added nine points and five rebounds. WWU shot 47.1% for the game (32-for-68) and were 10-for-26 from 3-point range.
 
Simon Fraser had three players score in double digits, with David Penny and Wilfried Balata each contributing 15 points. SFU shot 54.7% from the field (35-for-64) and were limited to 4-for-15 from 3-point range.
  The Vikings got off to a solid start in the five-minute overtime period building a 80-77 lead with 1:22 remaining, but a three-point play by Julian Roche with less than a minute on the scoreboard tied the game at 80-80. Daniel Hornbuckle got a good look at his go-ahead 3-pointer attempt, but it did not fall to give SFU the chance for the game winner. Arlington native Drew Bryson hit the game-winner on a turnaround jump shot with 2.5 seconds to give SFU the two-point victory. A desperation 3-pointer attempt by D'Angelo Minnis from 3/4 court was just off the mark.
  WWU trailed 73-69 with 1:03 remaining following a 6-0 run by SFU with all points scored by Julian Roche. Daniel Hornbuckle hit a running jumper with 39-seconds remaining and D'Angelo Minnis recorded a steal and converted the ensuing challenged layup with seven seconds remaining to force overtime.
  The game featured 15 lead changes and 11 tie scores, with eight of the lead changes in the second half.
  The Vikings raced out to an early 11-2 lead behind five points from Dakota Ayala and a pair of 3-pointers by Daniel Hornbuckle. With WWU holding a six-point lead at 26-20 with 7:01 remaining in the half, SFU went on a 19-6 run to grab a seven-point lead at 29-32. The Vikings answered with a pair of 3-pointers by RJ Secrest (0:41) and Dakota Ayala (:04) to trim the deficit to one point at 39-38 heading into halftime. Led by eight points from center Julian Roche, SFU shot 53.1% in the half (17-for-32) and were 2-for-6 from beyond the arc. WWU was paced by the 16 points from Ayala (7-for-14 FG) and shot 44.1% from the field as a team (15-for-34, 7-for-14 3FG).
  The Vikings were playing without leading scorer Jalen Green for the third consecutive game after suffering a minor injury prior to the game vs. UT Permian Basin on November 27. Green is averaging 16.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in five starts this season.
  The Vikings (5-3) close out the non-conference portion of the schedule with their next three games, beginning with a December 12 match-up against Northwest Indian College (3 pm). WWU will then travel to play a pair of games in the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic December 17-18 against Lindenwood and No. 1 Lubbock Christian. The Vikings return to GNAC play with road games at Central Washington (Dec. 30) and Northwest Nazarene (Jan. 1) around the New Year Holiday. All home games will stream live on Vikings TV and feature live statistical updates, with road games also featuring live coverage with direct links at wwuvikings.com/Live.
  WWU had its 13-game home winning streak vs. SFU snapped, a streak that dates back to the 1998 season. The Vikings continue to lead the all-time series 59-27 and are still 9-3 over the last 12 meetings. SFU has won three of the last four in the series.
  The complete 2021-22 WWU Men's Basketball Schedule can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/21-22_MBB, complete with links to purchase tickets and live coverage links for webcast and live stats.
  Fans wishing to purchase season tickets for the 2021-22 season can call the WWU Box Office at (360) 650-6103 to reserve their seats for the upcoming season. Single-game advance tickets are also available to purchase online at wwuvikings.com/MBB_Tickets.
  One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, WWU has recorded a 20-win season in eight of the last 11 seasons. WWU is a six-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion and has appeared in the NCAA II Elite 8 three times. The Vikings won the 2011-12 NCAA Division II National Championship and advanced the following season to the NCAA II Final Four. Western has 20-win seasons in three of the last four years (and seven of nine) and won the 2020 GNAC Championships Tournament. WWU is the 12th winningest Division II program with its 1,519 all-time victories.