Box score, play-by-play
SEATTLE -- Chris Banchero had 17 points, and Ryan Sweet, Brandon Larrieu and Rafael Moreira tallied 15 apiece as 17th-ranked Seattle Pacific took charge in the first half and blew out Saint Martin's in an early-season showdown of Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball leaders, 81-63.
The Falcons (11-2, 2-0 GNAC) were on top for all but 25 seconds of the game, that being early in the first half when Saint Martin's (10-2, 1-1) went in front at 11-10. SPU stretched its lead to as many as 25 points during the second half.
Saint Martin's, coming off a 94-86 triple-overtime victory against Western Washington in Thursday night's GNAC opener, was led by the 24 points and 12 rebounds of Blake Poole, who has had three games in the 30s this season. But the SPU defense kept the Saints' 6-foot-5 big man in check, not allowing him his first field goal until 1:13 remained in the first half.
Senior wing Rob Diederichs (Shoreline, Wash/Shorewood HS) handed out nine assists and pulled down seven rebounds for Settle Pacific. Senior post player Moreira (Brasilia, Brazil) also had seven boards. Junior post player Sweet (Port Orchard, Wash./South Kitsap HS) added had five rebounds, six assists and a career-high four steals to go along with his 15 points.
Seattle Pacific was up 15-14 when it began a 14-2 run to take command. The Falcons capped the run with 10 straight points: a 3-pointer by Brandon Larrieu, a driving scoop lay-in by Larrieu, a lay-in by Banchero, a steal and a coast-to-coast lay-in by Jeff Downs, and a free throw by Moreira, making it 29-16 with 6:52 left in the half.
SPU twice stretched its lead to as many as 18 before settling for a 43-28 lead at halftime.
The Falcons built it to 20 points for the first time at 62-42 with 10:14 remaining and never let Saint Martin's get closer than 17 after that.
Jeremy Green added 17 points for Saint Martin's, including the first 11 of the game for the Saints.
The Falcons shot 53 percent (35 of 66), and got 62 of their 81 points in the paint, with 10 of those on second-chance opportunities. Saint Martin's hit just 41.4 percent (24 of 58) and had a six-game winning streak snapped. The Saints' only previous loss this season was 67-58 at Grand Canyon on Dec. 4.
SPU won the boards, 38-29, and had assists on 28 of its 35 field goals.
Seattle Pacific plays at Western Oregon on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in its only game next week.
NCAA Men's Basketball
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Brougham Pavilion/Seattle, Wash.
(No. 17) Seattle Pacific 81, Saint Martin's 63
SAINT MARTIN'S (11-2, 1-1 GNAC)
Poole 7-12 10-13 24; Green 8-16 0-0 17; Squiers 3-7 2-4 9; Taylor 2-4 1-1 5;
Howard 2-9 0-0 4; Henze 1-1 0-0 2; O'Neill 1-3 0-0 2; Severs 0-0 0-0 0;
Bomber 0-2 0-0 0; Votaw 0-2 0-0 0; Dodson 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 24-58 13-18 63.
SEATTLE PACIFIC (11-2, 2-0 GNAC)
Banchero 7-17 3-3 17; Moreira 7-9 1-2 15; Sweet 7-13 1-1 15; Larrieu 7-11
0-0 15; Downs 3-7 1-2 9; Anderson 3-4 1-2 8; Morse 1-2 0-0 2; McHugh 0-0 0-0
0; Wardell 0-2 0-0 0; Vranes 0-0 0-0 0; Diederichs 0-1 0-0 0; Hope 0-0 0-0
0. Totals 35-66 7-10 81.
Saint Martin's................ 28 35 - 63
Seattle Pacific............... 43 38 - 81
3-point goals--Saint Martin's 2-13 (Green 1-1; Squiers 1-3; Howard 0-4;
Bomber 0-2; Votaw 0-1; Taylor 0-1; Poole 0-1), Seattle Pacific 4-16 (Downs
2-5; Anderson 1-2; Larrieu 1-3; Morse 0-1; Wardell 0-1; Sweet 0-2; Banchero
0-2). Fouled out--Saint Martin's-None, Seattle Pacific-None. Rebounds--Saint
Martin's 29 (Poole 12), Seattle Pacific 38 (Diederichs 7; Moreira 7).
Assists--Saint Martin's 19 (Bomber 4), Seattle Pacific 28 (Diederichs 9).
Total fouls--Saint Martin's 10, Seattle Pacific 20. Technical fouls--Saint
Martin's-None, Seattle Pacific-None. A-914.
