Box score, play-by-play

SEATTLE – Senior point guard Chris Banchero put on another spectacular scoring display. But Tuesday he shared the spotlight with newcomer Andy Poling.

Banchero scored 30 points – his third straight outing of 30 or more -- and Poling added a double-double of 20 points and 16 rebounds as 10th-ranked Seattle Pacific completed a sweep of its three men's basketball exhibition games with an 88-76 victory against Northwest University of Kirkland at Brougham Pavilion.

A transfer from Gonzaga, Poling (Portland, Ore.) came up with his first double-double as a Falcon. He surpassed his previous highs in both categories (17 points and six rebounds, both at Nevada). The 6-foot-11 post player hit 8 of 17 shots from the field.



“Andy's going to be a special player. People don't even realize that he's just a sophomore,” said second-year SPU coach Ryan Looney. “He transferred from Gonzaga and just got to play a little bit there, so this is really the first time he's gotten extended minutes in a college basketball season. For him to do what he's done in the first three games so far, and to be as young as he is, is pretty special.”

Along with Poling, two other newcomers made their home debuts in the white and maroon. Junior Jeff Dorman (Vancouver, Wash./Prairie HS), a transfer from Clackamas (Ore.) Community College, scored nine points and freshman David Downs (Kirkland, Wash./Bellevue Christian HS) had two.

Those exhibition numbers won't officially count in the record book. Seattle Pacific plays for real next Friday, Nov. 19, against Cal State East Bay in the first round of the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic. That regular-season opener begins at 7 p.m. at Brougham Pavilion.

Banchero (Seattle/O'Dea HS) had high-scoring nights on the road in two games against NCAA Division I opponents: 38 in an 87-82 victory at Eastern Washington on Nov. 2, and 33 in an 84-81 win at Nevada last Saturday.



Despite another 30-point outburst, Looney didn't think the All-American was at his best on Tuesday.

“I think even Chris would probably agree tonight wasn't one of the better games that he's had so far. He did an unbelievable job in the first two (games) taking care of the ball and getting it to the right people. Tonight as our point guard he was a little careless in that area.”

Banchero did agree.

“That was probably the worst first half of basketball I've played in a long time. But, we got the win and we played well in the second half.”

He fueled the team's second-half turnaround. After an eight-point, five-turnover first half, Banchero improved dramatically after intermission. He erupted for 22 second-half points with just two turnovers.

Banchero had a hand in a stretch of 13 points early in the second half as SPU took command of the game. Northwest had just completed a 9-0 run to turn a 41-32 deficit into a 41-41 tie. Banchero then hit a 16-footer from the left of the lane, followed by a 19-footer, also from the left side.

Greg Peters hit a put-back for the Eagles, making it 45-43. Banchero answered with two free throws, a 15-footer from the right side, a pass to Kellan Moll for a 3-pointer from beyond the top of the key that bounced high off the rim before falling through, and finally a steal and coast-to-coast lay-in. That put the Falcons up 54-45 with 13:02 left, and Northwest never got closer than seven the rest of the night.

Senior post player Ryan Sweet (Port Orchard, Wash./South Kitsap HS) added 11 points for the Falcons. He also handed out a team-leading six assists.

Both teams struggled to keep possession as SPU committed 23 turnovers and the Eagles 18.

Looney credits the miscues to a lack of focus, something that didn't plague the Falcons during their encounters with the Division I foes. They had seven turnovers at Nevada and 13 at Eastern Washington.

“A week ago at Eastern Washington and Nevada I thought our guys were motivated to play those two games. We had some slippage in that area tonight. We talked a lot about it in the locker room after the game.

“If we're going to have as much success as we're capable of having, we need to prepare better in practice. Hopefully that effort will carry over into each game.”

The Falcons, whose 50.8 percent shooting last year ranked fourth in all of NCAA Division II, enjoyed their best night of the new season at 54.7 percent (29 of 53).

Banchero hit 8 of 15 from the field and 14 of 15 from the free throw line for Seattle Pacific.

After being out-rebounded by large margins in its first two exhibitions, SPU had a 43-26 advantage on the boards Tuesday.

Northwest, which beat Vancouver Island and Ferris of Massachusetts in its first two games of the season, was led by the 16 points of Rick Skillman. Jordan Call added 14 and Stedman Richardson tallied 13. Peters collected a team-high six rebounds.

The Eagles were limited to 39.7 percent shooting from the floor (25 of 63).


NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL (exhibition)
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Brougham Pavilion/Seattle, Wash.

(No. 10) Seattle Pacific 88, Northwest University 76

NORTHWEST UNIVERSITY
Skillman, Rich 5-7 4-4 16; Call, Jordan 3-10 6-8 14; Richardson, Stedman 6-8
0-0 13; Peters, Greg 3-7 3-4 9; Landon, Daley 2-6 2-2 8; Christie, Tyson 4-9
0-0 8; George, Greg 1-5 3-4 5; Cook, Ahmaad 1-6 0-0 3; Greene, Michael 0-4
0-0 0; Mendezona, Tyler 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-63 18-22 76.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
Banchero, Chris 8-13 14-15 30; Poling, Andy 8-17 4-6 20; Sweet, Ryan 4-7 3-5
11; Dorman, Jeff 3-6 2-2 9; Morse, Scott 2-2 1-4 6; Downs, Jeff 1-5 2-5 5;
Moll, Kellan 2-2 0-0 5; Downs, David 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 29-53 26-37 88.
 
Northwest University.......... 26 50 - 76
Seattle Pacific...................... 35 53 - 88

3-point goals--Northwest University 8-25 (Call, Jordan 2-5; Skillman, Rich
2-4; Landon, Daley 2-6; Cook, Ahmaad 1-4; Richardson, Stedman 1-2; Greene, 
Michael 0-2; Mendezona, Tyler 0-1; Christie, Tyson 0-1), Seattle Pacific
4-11 (Downs, Jeff 1-4; Morse, Scott 1-1; Dorman, Jeff 1-2; Moll, Kellan 1-1;
Sweet, Ryan 0-1; Banchero, Chris 0-2). Fouled out--Northwest
University-Christie, Tyson; Greene, Michael, Seattle Pacific-Morse, Scott.
Rebounds--Northwest University 26 (Peters, Greg 6), Seattle Pacific 43
(Poling, Andy 16). Assists--Northwest University 14 (Christie, Tyson 4),
Seattle Pacific 19 (Sweet, Ryan 6). Total fouls--Northwest University 25,
Seattle Pacific 16. Technical fouls--Northwest University-None, Seattle
Pacific-Team. Att.-526.

Next game --
Cal State East Bay at Seattle Pacific (Sodexo Tip-Off Classic)
Nov. 19, Brougham Pavilion, 7 p.m.