• Boxscore & Play-by-Play

PULLMAN, Wash. -- Katie Benson led all scorers with 21 points for the Seattle Pacific women who led at halftime Saturday before succumbing to a second-half rally that gave Washington State a 72-60 exhibition basketball win at Friel Court.

Six different Cougars scored during the decisive 16-0 run that netted a 62-40 advantage with 8:32 left in the game.

Benson converted two free throws with 13:05 remaining to draw SPU within 46-40. But the Falcons did not score again until 7:16 showed on the clock. A layup by Nyesha Sims stopped the 5-minute, 49-second scoreless stretch.

The Falcons missed four shots during the scoring drought and turned the ball over five times. Fifteen of their 23 turnovers came during the second half.

Tia Presley scored 14 points to lead WSU, which also got 13 from Sage Romberg and 10 from April Cook.

Benson (Snohomish, Wash./Snohomish HS) was the only SPU player in double figures. She tallied 14 first-half points to help the NCAA Division II Falcons forge a 36-34 halftime margin. They led their Division I hosts by as many as seven points, at 36-29, with 1:42 left in the opening period.

Jordan Harazin had eight points for SPU while Aubree Callen and Rachel Murray each chipped in seven.

WSU built a 22-9 lead in the opening nine minutes before the Falcons responded with a 19-2 surge. Benson scored nine points during the run that put SPU ahead 28-24 with 5:43 left in the half.

The Falcons play two more exhibition games. They visit Portland on Wednesday before hosting George Fox on Friday at 7 p.m. in Brougham Pavilion.


NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (exhibition)
Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011
Friel Court/Pullman, Wash.

at Washington State 72, Seattle Pacific 60

SEATTLE PACIFIC
Benson 5-12 10-13 21, Harazin 3-8 0-1 8, Callen 3-7 0-0 7, Sims 3-13 0-1 6, Murray 3-4 0-0 7, Gorman 1-6 0-0 3, Teng 0-0 0-0 0, Ohlsen 0-2 5-6 5, Kingma 1-6, 0-0 3, Reimer 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 19-59 15-21 60.

WASHINGTON STATE
Tarnowski 1-4 0-0 2, Noyes 2-3 1-2 5, Cook 5-11 0-0 10, Adzasu 2-5 2-4 7, Perkins 2-7 1-2 5, Amojo 3-7 0-0 6, Grad 2-3 0-1 4, Presley 4-5 4-4 14, Romberg 5-10 2-2 13, Dheensaw 1-5 0-0 2, Thomas 2-6 0-0 4, Potter 0-6 0-0 0. Totals 29-72 10-15 72.

Seattle Pacific.......... 36  24  - 60
Washington State......... 34  38  - 72

3-point goals--SPU 7-28 (Harazin 2-7, Murray 1-1, Benson 1-2, Callen 1-3, Gorman 1-4, Kingma 1-4, Ohlsen 0-2, Sims 0-5), WSU  4-17 (Presley 2-3 Romberg 1-2, Adzasu 1-2, Tarnowski 0-1, Cook 0-1, Perkins 0-2, Amojo 0-2, Thomas 0-2, Potter 0-2). Fouled out--SPU-None, WSU-None. Rebounds--SPU 42 (Sims 7), WSU 48 (Romberg 7). Assists--SPU 10 (Murray 3), WSU 20 (Adzasu, Presley 4). Total fouls--SPU 11, WSU 19. Technical fouls--SPU-None, WSU-None. Att.-442.

Next game –
Seattle Pacific at Portland (exhibition)
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 7:00 p.m., Portland, Ore.