December 2, 2008
SEATTLE -- Whenever Seattle Pacific seemed ready to rally in its nonconference women's basketball game at Seattle University on Tuesday night, the Redhawks had an answer for them.
By the end of the night, SU had a few more points, too.
A nine-minute scoring drought that bridged the first and second halves dropped Seattle Pacific from a two-point lead into a 14-point deficit, and the 15th-ranked Falcons weren't able to overcome it in a 70-56 nonconference women's basketball loss to their longtime crosstown rivals.
SPU (3-1) had won 21 straight games against the Redhawks (2-3), a streak which started in 1995.
“Seattle U played incredibly hard. They came out from the very first possession and set the tone,” SPU coach Julie van Beek said. “They were more aggressive on the boards and defensively. They played harder and smarter than we did.”
Junior guard Daesha Henderson (Snohomish, Wash., Snohomish HS) led Seattle Pacific with 14 points. Senior forward Kelsey Burns (Seattle, Kennedy HS) added 10 points.
The Redhawks got the early jump, racing to a 16-6 lead by hitting seven of their first 12 shots. But Seattle Pacific then went on a 16-4 run, capped by a 3-pointer from junior forward Megan Hoisington (Bremerton, Wash., Central Kitsap HS) to take a 22-20 edge with 5:47 left in the first half.
The Falcons didn't score again until 16:46 remained in the second half when Maddie Maloney drained a 3-pointer from the left corner. By then, the Redhawks had rung up 16 consecutive points for a 36-22 lead. Seattle Pacific eventually got as close as five, putting up nine straight points and closing to 36-31 with 14:40 still left on the clock.
But Seattle University then ran off 10 more, pushing its lead to 46-31, and staying ahead by double digits the rest of the night. The Redhawks answered almost every SPU hoop with one of their own.
“We had our chances,” van Beek said. “Give Seattle U credit -- whenever we made a run, they shut the door on us. … We got frustrated tonight instead of saying, 'We just have to have three good possessions here.'”
The Falcons shot just 34.5 percent from the field (19 of 55). Seattle U hit 38.2 percent (26 of 68). The Redhawks also won the battle of the boards, 48-37. Hoisington led Seattle Pacific with seven rebounds. Mercedes Alexander had 10 rebounds to go along with nine points for Seattle U.
“Our youth showed tonight,” van Beek said. “We want to win, we want to play well, and we know we can play well.”
Seattle U, a former Great Northwest Athletic Conference rival of the Falcons which is making the transition back up to Division I, was led by the 29 points of Breanna Salley, who hit 11 of 24 from the floor. Chelsie Morrison had 15.
With SU moving to D-1, the future of the series is in limbo. Seattle Pacific has a 33-24 advantage all-time.
The Falcons won't return to action until Dec. 12 when they take on Sonoma State in Chico, Calif. That will be the first of back-to-back games in the second half of the challenge series between the GNAC and the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Seattle Pacific will square off against host and defending CCAA champion Chico State the following night.
NCAA Women's Basketball
Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008
Connolly Center, Seattle, Wash.
Seattle University 70, (No. 15) Seattle Pacific 56
SEATTLE PACIFIC (3-1)
Burns 4-10 1-2 10, Hoisington 1-8 3-4 5, Hill 2-5 2-2 6, Henderson 5-11 3-5 14, Maloney 3-11 0-0 7, Harazin 2-2 4-4 9, Gorman 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 1-1 0-0 3, Sims 0-1 0-0 0, Cannon 0-2 0-0 0, Reich 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 19-55 13-17 56.
SEATTLE UNIVERSITY (2-3)
Morrison 5-12 3-3 15, Salley 11-24 4-7 29, Heck 2-4 0-2 4, Kerfoot 1-4 0-1 3, Murillo 1-6 2-2 5, Williams 1-3 0-0 3, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Carlson 0-0 0-0 0, Christianson 0-1 0-0 0, Alexander 4-9 1-2 9, McCarthy 1-4 0-0 2, Messersmith 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-68 10-17 70.
Seattle Pacific...........22 34 -- 56
Seattle University........28 42 -- 70
3-point goals -- SPU 5-15 (Burns 1-3, Hoisington 0-1, Henderson 1-3, Maloney 1-5, Harazin 1-1, Smith 1-1, Cannon 0-1), SU 8-31 (Morrison 2-7, Salley 3-8, Kerfoot 1-3, Murillo 1-6, Williams 1-3,Christianson 0-1, Alexander 0-1, McCarthy 0-2). Fouled out -- None. Rebounds -- SPU 37 (Hoisington 7, Henderson 6, Maloney 6), SU 48 (Alexander 10, Heck 8). Assists -- SPU 9 (Henderson 3), SU 14 (Murillo 5). Total fouls -- SPU 18, SU 19. Technical fouls -- None. A -- 317.
