THE SODEXO SCHEDULE:        Friday, Nov. 19
                                                       UC San Diego vs. Western Washington, 1 p.m.
                                                       SPU vs San Francisco State, 5 p.m.

                                                       Saturday, Nov. 20
                                                       San Fran. State vs. W. Washington, 1 p.m.
                                                       SPU vs. UC San Diego, 5 p.m.

                                                       Brougham Pavilion (2,650)/Seattle, Wash..
                                                       Live Wecast (all)     Live stats (all)


       Weekly release, with complete stats (PDF)

SEATTLE – It's time to get real for the Seattle Pacific women's basketball team. 

The eighth-ranked Falcons, after splitting a pair of exhibition games, start playing for keeps this Friday and Saturday when they take the court against San Francisco State and UC San Diego in the annual Sodexo Tip-Off Classic in Brougham Pavilion.

Both games start at 5 p.m. and will be third of four contests on each day's docket.

Not only will the games against their California Collegiate Athletic Association rivals go into SPU's official ledger, both are opponents are from the West Region, and so will factor into those rankings when they start coming out on a weekly basis after the upcoming holidays.

Seattle Pacific, after dropping a 67-61 decision at Portland on Nov. 4, concluded exhibition play last Thurday in Brougham with a 97-48 blowout of NCAA Division III power George Fox of Newberg, Ore.





ABOUT THE SODEXO TOURNAMENT
The Sodexo Tip-Off Classic has been a staple on Seattle Pacific men's and women's basketball schedules for many years, although under different names before the food services company took up sponsorship beginning with the 2005 event. It typically brings together the Falcons, one other team from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, and two teams from elsewhere in the country.

Instead of a traditional format in which the two opening-night winners meet in a title game while the first-night losers play for third place, pairings are pre-determined, in large part so teams from the same conference don't wind up meeting each other outside of the conference schedule.

By whatever name, the Falcon women have been highly successful in the tournament. Matter of fact, they've been perfect – 18-0 in the previous nine editions.

Western Washington will join SPU, San Francisco State and UC San Diego in this year's event.

SPEAKING OF THE FALCONS
Coach Julie van Beek Heisey has seen plenty of practice sessions with the Falcons since Oct. 15, along with the two exhibition games. Both she and her players are eager to see how they stack up in contests that count.

“We're excited to have some games,” Heisey said. “Practice has been going well, but practice is practice. We want a test.”

She is counting on exactly that from San Francisco State and UC San Diego this weekend.

“We know traditionally what (SF State) has been: a really athletic team, a team that is going to run and drive on you a lot, and is going to be good rebounders,” she said.

“San Diego is obviously one of our rivals. We've played them every year that I've been here, and they always have a real good team. They have one of the best guards, if not the best guard in the region in Chelsea Carlisle. It'll be a good test for us. We're excited to get ready, that's for sure.”

Senior center Melissa Reich (Bothell, Wash./Bellevue Christian HS) also is looking forward to both games, especially UC San Diego after the Tritons edged the Falcons in double overtime last year in San Diego, 82-80.

“They've always been a solid team ever since I've been here,” Reich said. “You always have to fight for a win.”

SCOUTING THE SAN FRANCISCO STATE GATORS (Nov. 19)
All-time series: SPU leads, 7-0. Current series streak: SPU won 7.
Last time: SPU 71, San Francisco State 53, Nov. 24, 2008 at Seattle). San Francisco State on the Web.
Gators in a nutshell: Like SPU, San Francisco State is playing its season opener on Friday. The Gators dropped both of their exhibition contests, 75-45 at Nevada, and 91-33 at UC Davis, both Division I schools. SF State graduated most of last year's team that went 15-16 overall, 11-11 in the CCAA. Among the three returners is senior center Dominique Hunter, who averaged 8.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, shot 47.6 percent from the field and blocked 67 shots. Hunter did not play at Nevada, and was limited to five points against UC Davis. Redshirt freshman guard Kaylaa Davis came off the bench in both games to lead the Gators in scoring with nine points in each contest.

SCOUTING THE UC SAN DIEGO TRITONS (Nov. 20)
All-time series: SPU leads, 8-1. Current series streak: UCSD won 1.
Last time: UCSD 82, SPU 80 (2 OT), Dec. 28, 2009 at San Diego. UC San Diego on the Web.
Tritons in a nutshell: This was a match-up many were hoping to see last March when UCSD came into the NCAA West Regional tournament in Brougham Pavilion as the No. 2 seed, while host Seattle Pacific was No. 1. But it didn't happen, as the Tritons were bounced in the first round by Humboldt State. UC San Diego went 0-3 last week at the season-opening Disney West Coast Tip Off Classic in Anaheim, the first 0-3 start since the 2002-03 season. But all three were quality opponents: 13th-ranked Alaska Anchorage (74-62), then Texas Woman's University (76-58) and West Region power Grand Canyon (120-118 in a triple-overtime classic). Senior guard Chelsea Carlisle, after being limited to single-digit scoring in the first two games, went off for 46 on 16-of-29 shooting against Grand Canyon. Junior guard Daisy Feder hit for double figures in all three games, and sophomore Emily Osga had 21 against UAA and 25 against Grand Canyon.

HOW DO THEY COMPARE? 
                                    SPU             SFS         UCSD
Points                         79.0            39.0          79.3
Points allowed         57.5            83.0          90.0
Rebounds                  34.5            31.0          42.0
Assists                      21.5               7.5          10.3
Steals                        12.0             11.0            4.0
Blocks                          3.5               5.5            1.3
Turnovers                 23.5             31.0         17.7
FG pct.                       .505             .278         .354
3-pt. pct.                   .465             .235         .256
FT pct.                       .800             .625         .829

LAST PASS IS THE BEST PASS
Say this for the Falcons: They're looking for the open player on offense. In the two exhibitions, Seattle Pacific made 53 field goals. Of those, 43 had an assist recorded. At Portland, it was 18 assists on 20 baskets; against George Fox, it was 25 on 33.

WELCOME ABOARD
The Falcons have signed Suzanna Ohlsen of Monroe (Wash.) and Maddey Pflaumer of Issaquah (Wash.) to national letters of intent, and they will join the program starting in 2011.

Ohlsen, a 5-foot-7 guard, is a three-sport star at Monroe. On the court, she owns single-season school record for points, field goals made and attempted, free throw percentage and steals. She also has run in the Washington state high school cross country meet all four years, and owns the school track record for the 800 meters and has competed at state twice in that event.

Pflaumer, a 5-11 post player, is a force at both ends of the court for Issaquah. Last season as a junior, she averaged 12.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game. She also broke the single-season school record for blocked shots, finishing with 52.

POLLING PLACE
With three starters and almost all of their key reserves returning from last year's 27-4 squad that won the GNAC and West Regional championships, the Falcons are highly regarded from pollsters both near and far as they head into the 2010-11 season.

In the conference preseason coaches poll, Seattle Pacific received eight of the 10 first-place votes and 96 points. Alaska Anchorage is next with one first-place vote and 88 points, followed by Western Washington, with one first-place vote and 79 points.

Simon Fraser, the defending Canadian national champion that joined the GNAC and NCAA Division II this year, checked in fourth with 64 points. The Clan went 32-1 overall last season. Seattle Pacific will open its conference schedule at Simon Fraser on Dec. 18.

Besides their favorite's role in the conference, the Falcons are ranked No. 8 in the USA Today/ESPN preseason coaches poll, and are ranked No. 13 in the Women's Division II Bulletin preseason poll. Arkansas Tech, an Elite Eight semifinalist last year, is at No. 1 in both of those polls.

Seattle Pacific received 450 points in the USA Today/ESPN voting, and is the top-ranked team among West Region schools. UC San Diego is No. 11, and Alaska Anchorage is 13th, On the Division II Bulletin list. UC San Diego is No. 7, and Anchorage is No. 9.

FALCONS REPLAY
Redshirt freshman Katie Benson (Snohomish, Wash./Snohomish HS) scored 15 points and was one of four Falcons to hit for double figures last Thursday in a 97-48 exhibition rout of George Fox University in Brougham Pavilion.

The Falcons are ranked No. 8 in the USA Today/ESPN preseason Division II poll; George Fox is No. 8 in the D-3 version of that poll.

Senior forward Caitlyn Rohrbach (Edmonds, Wash./Meadowdale HS) added 14 points, senior center Melissa Reich had 13, and junior guard Nyesha Sims (Portland, Ore.) tallied 11.

DOUBLE THE FUN – SEVEN TIMES SO FAR
In the two exhibition games, SPU had a combined seven players hit score in double figures.

Senior center Melissa Reich and senior forward Caitlyn Rohrbach have done it twice. They each had 11 at Portland, then Reich pumped in 14 and Rohrbach added 13 against George Fox.

Senior guard Maddie Maloney (Issaquah, Wash./Skyline HS), sophomore guard Rachel Murray (Eglington, Australia) and freshman guard Aubree Callen (Jerome, Idaho) tallied 10 apiece at Portland.

Joining the double-digit parade last week against George Fox were redshirt freshman forward Katie Benson (a game-high 15) and junior guard Nyesha Sims (Portland, Ore.) with 11.

HOME OF THE FREE
In the two exhibition games, the Falcons showed significant improvement at the free throw line. SPU hit a combined 32 of 40, an 80 percent clip. That included a near-perfect 19 of 21 (90.5 percent) last Thursday against George Fox.

Last season, the Falcons hit just 67.5 percent from the foul line.

CAREER HIGHS ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN
Each of SPU's five returning third- and fourth-year players established multiple career highs last season in the major statistical categories.

Melissa Reich clearly was the most efficient at it, meeting or beating her career best marks in points (15), rebounds (12), assists (8), steals (6) and blocked shots (4) in a span of 28 days from mid February through mid March. Also re-doing her records in all five of those categories were Jordan Harazin (17 points, seven rebounds, six assists, six steals and two blocks) and Nyesha Sims (17 points, nine rebounds four assists, three steals and two blocks).

Guard McKayla Gorman (Parker, Colo.) met or set career-best totals in points (8), rebounds (5), assists (4) and steals (3). And forward Caitlyn Rohrbach set new highs for rebounds (8) and assists (5) last season.

UP NEXT
The Sodexo will be Seattle Pacific's last home games until the Falcons Invitational on Dec. 28 and 29 in Brougham. And, they'll also have two weeks off before returning to action at the GNAC-Pac West Challenge on Dec. 3 and 4 in St. George, Utah. Seattle Pacific will face Grand Canyon on Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. PST, then takes on host Dixie State on Dec. 4, also at 2 p.m.

TICKET TALK
Tickets for SPU's home games can be purchased at Brougham Pavilion (3414 3rd Ave. W.) on match day. Ticket windows open one hour prior to the listed start time for all home matches.

Reserved seats are $8 for center court and $7 for the foul lines. General admission tickets are priced at $6 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. Groups or teams of 10 or more may qualify for special general admission rates by calling (206) 281-2085 at least 72 hours in advance.

SPU students who show their school identification will be admitted free to all home matches.

AROUND THE GNAC
Click on this link for results, schedules, news and notes from around the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.


GNAC STANDINGS 
                                                GNAC     Overall
Saint Martin's                         0-0            2-0
Central Washington             0-0            1-0
Alaska Anchorage                0-0             2-1
Alaska Fairbanks                  0-0            0-0
Montana State Billings         0-0            0-0
Northwest Nazarene            0-0            0-0
Seattle Pacific                        0-0            0-0
Simon Fraser                         0-0            0-0
Western Oregon                    0-0            0-0
Western Washington            0-0            0-0